UCSB   LIBRARY 


THE   SACRIFICE   OF   THE    MASS 


•fttbil  Gbstat: 

JOANNES  CROFTON,  S.J. 

CENSOR  DEPUTATUS. 

Imprimatur : 

•J.  HERBERTUS   CARDINALIS  VAUGHAN. 
ARCHIEP.   WESTMON. 


ROEHAMPTON  :    PRINTED    BY  JOHN   GRIFFIN. 


AN    EXPLANATION    OF    ITS    DOCTRINE 
RUBRICS      AND      PRAYERS 


an  Jntroouctorg  Chapter 


BY 

M.    GAVIN,    S.J. 


FIFTH   EDITION 

REVISED,     ENLARGED,     AND    CORRECTED 
(Seventh  Thousand) 


LONDON:     BURNS    AND    GATES    (LIMITED) 

NEW  YORK,   CINCINNATI,  CHICAGO  :    BENZIGER   BROTHERS 

AND   OF   ALL   CATHOLIC    BOOKSELLERS 
I9O6 


[All  rights  reserved.] 


TO   THE   MEMBERS 

OF  THE  SODALITY  OF  THE  IMMACULATE  CONCEPTION 
FARM   STREET,   LONDON 

THIS    BOOK    ON    THE    HOLY    SACRIFICE 

IS    AFFECTIONATELY   DEDICATED, 

IN   GRATEFUL   MEMORY 

OF   OUR   MONTHLY   MASS   AND   COMMUNION 
DURING   TWENTY  YEARS. 

M.   GAVIN,   SJ. 


114,  MOUNT  STREET, 

LONDON,  W. 

The  Purification,  1903. 


CONTENTS. 


page 

INTRODUCTORY  CHAPTER  .....         xi 

PREFACE  TO  THE  SECOND  EDITION      .  .  .  .  •  xxvii 

PREFACE  TO  THE  FOURTH  EDITION      .        '    .  .  .  xxviii 

CHAPTER  THE  FIRST. 

The  Doctrine  of  the  Sacrifice  of  the  Mass        .  .  .  i 

Questions      .......  2 

CHAPTER  THE  SECOND. 

The  Essence  of  the  Mass  .....          3 

Questions       .'.'.'.  .  .  .11 

CHAPTER  THE  THIRD. 

The  Consecration  of  the  Altar  .  .  .  .  .12 

Questions       .  .  .  .  .  .15 

CHAPTER  THE  FOURTH. 
The  Vestments    .......         16 

Questions'     .  .  .  .  .  .  .        21 

CHAPTER  THE  FIFTH. 
The  Asperges       .......        22 

Questions      .......        24 

CHAPTER  THE  SIXTH. 

The  Language  of  the  Mass         .  .  .  .  .25 

Questions      .......        34 

CHAPTER  THE  SEVENTH. 

The  Roman  Mass  in  the  Eighth  Century         .  .  -35 

Questions      .......        49 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  THE  EIGHTH. 

page 

The  Ordinary  of  the   Mass.      Part  the  First:    From   the 

Beginning  to  the  Offertory       .  .  .  .50 

Questions      .......        60 

CHAPTER  THE  NINTH. 

The  Introit,  "  Kyrie,"  and  "  Gloria  in  excelsis  "          .  .61 

Questions      .......        69 

CHAPTER  THE  TENTH. 

The  "  Dominus  vobiscum,"  Collect,  and  Epistle         .  .        70 

Questions      .......        75 

CHAPTER  THE  ELEVENTH. 

The  Gradual,  Alleluia,  Tract,  and  Sequence    .  .  .76 

Questions      .......        79 

CHAPTER  THE  TWELFTH. 

The  Gospel  and  the  Creed         .....         80 
Questions      .......        95 

CHAPTER  THE  THIRTEENTH. 

Part  the  Second  :  The  Offertory  to  the  Canon  .  .        96 

Questions      .  .  .  .  .  .  .112 

CHAPTER  THE  FOURTEENTH. 

Part  the  Third  :  The  Canon  of  the  Mass          .  .  -113 

Questions     .         '  .  .  .  .  .  150,  151 

CHAPTER  THE  FIFTEENTH. 
Part  the  Fourth:    From  the  "Pater  noster  "  to  the  end  of 

Mass      .......       152 

Questions      .......       183 

CHAPTER  THE  SIXTEENTH. 

The  Ceremonies  of  High  Mass  .....       184 
Questions      .......       204 

CHAPTER  THE  SEVENTEENTH. 
Mass  for  the  Dead          ......      205 

Questions      .......       214 


INTRODUCTORY    CHAPTER. 


IN  April,  igoi,  I  began  on  the  Wednesday  evenings  in 
Farm  Street  Church  a  series  of  simple  Explanations  of 
Catholic  Doctrine  for  Catholics  and  non-Catholics. 
The  text-book  was  the  Penny  Catechism.  The  purpose 
was  to  explain,  supplement,  and  illustrate  that  little 
book  which  contains  so  much  in  a  few  pages.  I  began 
with  the  Sacraments,  and  after  explaining  the  Eucharist 
as  a  Sacrament,  went  on  to  consider  the  Eucharist  as 
a  Sacrifice.  To  the  Mass  some  twenty-eight  Instruc- 
tions were  devoted,  and  they  are  now  published. 

The  earnest  hope  is  entertained  that  this  explanation 
of  the  Mass  will  help  to  a  deeper  appreciation  of  the 
greatest  act  of  worship  in  the  Church.  It  is  impossible 
to  have  laboured  for  many  years  in  London  without 
painfully  realizing  that  the  Mass  is  neither  known, 
nor  understood,  nor  attended,  nor  loved  as  it  deserves. 
Surely  there  are  many  Catholics  who  might  with  a 
little  self-denial  hear  Mass,  if  not  daily,  at  least  some- 
times in  the  week.  If  we  inquire  the  reason  from  those 
who  find  time  for  other  things  and  not  for  Mass,  we 
shall  probably  learn  that  they  do  not  understand  what 
they  lose.  Mass  is  a  closed  book  to  them.  The  love, 


xii  INTRODUCTORY  CHAPTER. 

self-sacrifice,  and  humiliation  of  a  Divine  Person  lies 
before  them  in  the  Eucharist ;  they  have  eyes  and  see 
not.  With  an  intelligent  grasp  of  the  doctrine  of  the 
Mass  they  would  discover  a  method  of  discharging 
every  obligation  of  the  creature  to  the  Creator,  and  of 
procuring  all  they  want  from  His  gracious  bounty. 

Let  me  explain  simply  the  object  of  the  Mass.  Mass 
is  the  supreme  act  of  worship,  in  which  Christ  as  the 
Head  of  our  race,  offers  His  own  Body  and  Blood  in 
acknowledgment  of  the  Creator's  dominion  over  Him 
and  over  all  mankind.  Our  Lord  is  the  chief  celebrant 
at  every  Mass,  and  at  the  altar  renews  His  profession 
of  perpetual  service.  Reason  alone  proves  the  obliga- 
tion of  giving  God  honour  and  glory.  Our  best  is 
indeed  small,  whether  we  consider  the  deeds  performed 
or  the  abject  condition  of  every  man,  clad  in  infirmity 
from  head  to  foot.  Our  deficiency  is  supplied  in  the 
Mass,  which  gives  infinite  honour  and  glory  to  God's 
Supreme  Majesty.  One  Mass,  for  which  we  cannot 
spare  half  an  hour,  yields  more  honour  and  glory  to 
God  than  the  adoration  of  the  blessed  in  Heaven  and 
of  their  Queen.  Once  more.  Thanksgiving  is  another 
duty  of  the  creature  to  the  Creator.  "Thank  you" 
are  almost  the  first  words  a  mother  teaches  her  child. 
The  duty  of  thanking  God  is  so  obvious  that  any 
explanation  weakens  its  claims.  The  duty  is  self- 
evident.  We  are  surrounded  by  the  unmerited  blessings 
of  Heaven  as  a  fish  by  the  waters  of  the  sea.  Man  is 
the  neediest  and  most  helpless  and  most  ungrateful  of 


INTRODUCTORY   CHAPTER. 


all  creatures,  and  for  him  God  has  done  incomparably 
more  than  for  the  angels.  The  Crib,  the  Cross,  and 
the  Tabernacle  are  three  fountains  of  mercy  and  love 
whence  grace  floods  this  earth.  Man  is  powerless  to 
thank  God  for  all  His  benefits.  "  The  unsearchable 
riches  of  Christ  "  paid  the  debt  of  gratitude  a  thousand- 
fold in  the  first  Mass  in  the  Supper  Room.  The  Church 
calls  the  Sacrament  of  the  Body  and  Blood  of  Christ 
the  Eucharist,  which  means  thanksgiving,  just  as  pain 
means  punishment.  At  the  Mass  Christ  chants  His  Te 
Deum  in  honour  of  His  Father,  or  rather  the  Mass  is 
His  Te  Deum,  and  the  faithful  on  earth,  in  Purgatory, 
and  Heaven,  join  the  song  of  praise.  You  have  received 
great  temporal  and  spiritual  blessings;  have  Mass 
offered  in  thanksgiving,  and  assist  at  the  Holy  Sacrifice 
for  the  same  intention.  And  though  we  may  not  aim  so 
high,  it  is  useful  to  remember  that  the  saints  recognized 
mercy  even  in  crushing  sorrow.  "Although  He  should 
kill  me  I  will  trust  in  Him."  (Job  xiii.  15.)  And  they 
thank  God  at  the  Mass  for  sending  it  to  them. 

Once  again :  We  are  sinners.  In  this  all  men  are 
akin  ;  and  we  need  some  Being  to  appease  the  anger 
of  God,  to  obtain  His  forgiveness  and  to  avert  or 
lessen  the  punishment  due  to  crime.  Mass  is  the  great 
appeasing  power  of  the  world,  for  Mass  is  Calvary 
over  again.  The  scene  on  Calvary  is  re-presented  to 
us  in  the  drama  of  the  Mass.  Death  on  Calvary  was 
the  consummation  of  the  Sacrifice.  That  death  was 
caused  by  the  separation  of  the  Blood  of  our  Lord 


INTRODUCTORY  CHAPTER. 


from  His  Body,  that  separation  is,  to  use  the  words  of 
the  Council  of  Trent,  "  re-presented  to  us,"  placed  again 
before  our  eyes  in  the  double  consecration  of  bread  and 
wine.  Although  Christ  exists  whole  and  entire  under 
the  appearance  of  bread  as  well  as  under  the.  appear- 
ance of  wine,  nevertheless  by  the  words  of  Consecration 
the  Body  alone  is  under  the  appearance  of  bread,  and  the 
Blood  alone  under  the  appearance  of  wine.  We  have 
then  here  that  mystical  parting  of  the  Body  and  Blood 
which  makes  the  re-presentation  of  the  Death  upon  the 
Cross. 

We  are  anxious  for  our  friends  or  relatives  who  are 
leading  bad  lives.  But  through  the  Mass  we  may 
infallibly  appease  to  some  extent  the  anger  of  God 
which  we  and  they  have  justly  incurred,  and  we  may 
infallibly  procure  them  graces,  which  if  accepted,  will 
lead  them  back  into  friendship  with  our  Lord.  For  the 
soul  in  the  state  of  grace  the  Mass  infallibly  satisfies  a 
part  of  the  punishment  due  to  forgiven  sin,  wards  off  the 
chastisements  of  God,  and  obtains  graces  in  every  con- 
juncture of  life  ;  while  for  the  soul  in  Purgatory  the  Mass 
is  the  surest  and  the  quickest  way  of  paying  the  debt, 
and  releasing  the  prisoner  from  the  flame.  Devotions 
come  and  go  in  the  Church.  Some  are  more  popular 
in  one  age  than  in  another.  Mass  is  the  devotion  of 
every  age  and  people:  it  is  our  spiritual  centre,  like 
the  sun  in  the  heavens,  shedding  light  and  warmth  over 
the  earth.  Mass  can  never  leave  us  so  long  as  this 
planet  hangs  in  the  firmament,  and  the  last  Mass  on 


INTRODUCTORY  CHAPTER. 


earth  will  be  the  signal  for  the  Archangel's  trumpet 
to  summon  the  dead  to  Judgment.  "God  Himself," 
says  St.  Alphonsus,  "  cannot  cause  any  action  to  be 
performed  which  is  holier  and  grander  than  the  Mass." 
In  one  word,  to  obtain  the  conversion  of  non-Catholics, 
the  release  of  souls  from  Purgatory,  to  avert  the  anger 
of  God,  to  satisfy  His  justice,  to  thank  Him  for  count- 
less favours,  to  obtain  grace  in  special  needs,  Mass 
is  the  surest  and  speediest,  because  the  heavenly 
appointed,  means. 

I  have  also  endeavoured  to  explain  in  this  book  the 
Rubrics  of  the  Mass. 

By  the  Rubrics  are  meant  directions  which  the 
Church  has  laid  down  for  the  fitting  celebration  of  the 
Holy  Sacrifice.  The  word  Rubric  is  taken  from  the 
Roman  law,  in  which  the  titles,  maxims,  and  principal 
decisions  were  written  in  red  (ruber).  Burchard, 
the  master  of  ceremonies  under  Innocent  VIII.  and 
Alexander  VI.,  first  set  out,  so  says  Le  Brun,  the 
ceremonies  of  the  Mass  in  the  Roman  Pontifical 
printed  at  Rome  in  1485.  The  ceremonies  were 
finally  arranged  more  or  less  in  the  present  form  by 
Pius  V.  when  he  revised  the  Missal  in  1570.  Various 
rites,  such  as  the  Ambrosian,  Mozarabic,  Carthusian, 
Dominican,  and  others  are  approved  by  the  Church ; 
the  Rubrics  at  these  Masses  are  somewhat  different 
from  those  of  the  ordinary  Roman  Mass.  The  history 
of  the  Rubrics  is  full  of  interest  to  any  student. 
The  Rubrics,  says  Le  Brun  in  his  famous  work  on 


xvi  INTRODUCTORY   CHAPTER. 

the  Mass,  are  so  many  signs  which  express  thought 
more  plainly  than  words.  (Vol!  I.  Preface,  p.  16.) 
Some  Rubrics  carry  us  back  to  the  very  earliest  time  : 
they  are  speaking  records  of  the  past.  "  Let  us  all 
remember  this,"  says  the  Bishop  of  Newport  in  his 
beautiful  work  (Our  Divine  Saviour,  p.  282),  "  there  is  not 
a  ceremony  of  the  Mass,  not  a  prayer,  not  a  genu- 
flexion, not  a  vestment  worn  which  has  not  been 
prescribed  by  ancient  saints,  if  not  by  the  Apostles 
themselves,  and  which  has  not  upon  it  the  stamp  and 
sanctity  of  a  hoary  and  venerable  tradition.  There  is 
not  a  symbol  of  office  in  the  country,  not  a  crown  or 
a  flag,  a  chain  or  a  robe,  which  is  not  of  yesterday, 
compared  with  the  stole  and  chasuble  of  the  priest  at 
the  altar.'-' 

It  will  interest  our  readers  to  know  that  there  is 
hardly  a  Rubric  ever  used  which  may  not  yet  be  found, 
either  whole  or  in  part,  in  the  ceremonies  employed  in 
the  Church  to-day.  If  we  do  not  find  it  in  High  Mass 
we  shall  find  it  in  Low,  if  not  in  the  Mass  of  a  priest, 
at  least  in  that  of  a  Bishop  or  perhaps  in  the  Pope's 
solemn  Mass,  said  three  times  a  year  on  the  feasts  of 
Christmas,  Easter,  and  SS.  Peter  and  Paul.  Some- 
times rites  no  longer  seen  in  the  Roman  Mass,  still  find 
a  place  in  the  rites  peculiar  to  certain  Religious  Orders 
or  in  Votive  Masses.  Let  us  illustrate  our  meaning 
by  examples. 

To  begin  with,  the  derivation  of  the  word  Mass 
reveals  tin  existence  of  a  rubric  which  for  ages  has 


INTRODUCTORY   CHAPTER.  xvii 

passed  away.  Mass  comes  to  us  from  the  Latin  Missa. 
Missa  is  another  form  of  Missio,  meaning  dismissal, 
just  as  collecta  (a  collect)  is  another  form  of  collectio,  and 
repulsa  of  repulsio  in  the  line  from  Horace,  Virtus  vcpuhce 
nescia  sordida,  not  to  quote  other  examples.  Now, 
in  the  Liturgy  there  were  two  solemn  dismissals — 
first,  of  the  catechumens  after  the  Gospel;  next,  of 
the  faithful  at  the  end  of  the  Service.  The  word  for 
dismissal  came  to  denote  the  Service  from  which 
there  were  two  "solemn  dismissals.  If  further,  it  be 
asked  why  the  catechumens  were  dismissed  after  the 
Gospel,  the  answer  requires  a  brief  explanation  of 
what  is  called  the  Discipline  of  the  Secret  (Discipline 
arcani).  By  the  Discipline  of  the  Secret,  we  mean  the 
custom  which  prevailed  in  the  early  Church,  say,  from 
the  end  of  the  second  to  the  close  of  the  sixth  century, 
of  concealing  from  heathens  and  catechumens  under 
instruction  for  the  Church  the  most  sacred  doctrines 
of  the  Faith.  This  secrecy  was  preserved  by  the  early 
Christians  from  the  natural  fear  that  the  knowledge 
of  their  doctrines  might  increase  the  violence  of  per- 
secution, or  expose  such  doctrines  to  ridicule  or  pro- 
fanation. The  catechumens  were  ordered  to  withdraw 
after  the  Gospel  and  sermon,  because  at  that  point  the 
preparation  for  the  Sacrifice  begins. 

Another  rubric  still  in  daily  use  reminds  us  of  the 

Discipline  of  the  Secret,  though  some  of  our  readers 

may  be  unaware  of  the  connection.     Why  is  the  Pater 

noster  said  audibly  at  Mass,  and  in  secret  at  the  Little 

6 


INTRODUCTORY   CHAPTER. 


Hours  and  the  various  Offices  of  the  Church  ? 
Benedict  XIV.,  a  safe  authority,  gives  the  reason. 
He  informs  us  (The  Mass,  bk.  ii.  p.  113)  that  the  Creed 
with  the  Pater  noster  were  among  those  prayers  never 
recited  in  the  public  Services  of  the  Church  at  which 
pagans  and  catechumens  assisted.  Both  pagans  and 
catechumens  had  left  the  church  at  the  Pater  noster, 
hence  there  was  no  reason  for  saying  the  Pater  noster 
inaudibly;  but  as  pagans  and  catechumens  were 
allowed  to  be  present  at  Prime,  Vespers,  Matins,  &c., 
the  Pater  noster  in  their  presence  was  said  in  secret^ 
And  the  custom  lives  to  this  day. 

Let  us  take  a  few  more  instances.  The  priest's 
berretta  at  Mass  dates  from  about  the  tenth  century. 
Before  that  time  the  amice  served  as  a  covering  for  the 
head.  Even  at  the  present  time  many  Religious  wear 
the  amice  over  the  head  until  the  beginning  of  Mass, 
when  they  cast  it  back  between  the  shoulders. 

Why  is  it  the  custom  for  the  priest  to  vest  in  the 
sacristy  and  the  Bishop  at  the  altar?  In  earlier  ages 
(as  now  on  solemn  occasions)  the  Bishop  was  received 
at  the  church  door,  a  procession  was  formed,  and  the 
Bishop  was  conducted  to  a  side  altar  where  he  vested 
before  the  principal  Mass,  and  remained  seated  to 
receive  the  homage  and  offerings  of  the  congregation. 
The  Bishop  then  proceeded  to  the  high  altar  and  Mass 
began.  In  time  the  procession  ceased,  the  Bishop's 
vestments  were  transferred  to  the  high  altar,  and  he 
vested  as  now  withio  the  sanctuary.  There  was  no 


INTRODUCTORY  CHAPTER. 


procession  or  solemnity  before  the  priest's  Mass,  and 
he  naturally  vested  in  the  sacristy.  The  Psalm 
Judica  was  not  generally  recited  at  Mass  before  the 
ninth  century,  its  omission  at  Masses  for  the  Dead 
and  during  Passiontide  takes  us  back  to  the  Mass  in 
the  earlier  ages  when  the  Judica  was  never  said.  The 
maniple  originally  served  the  purpose  of  a  hand- 
kerchief. It  was  pinned  to  the  priest's  arm  before 
he  ascended  the  altar.  The  custom  is  now  observed  at 
the  Bishop's  Mass ;  he  receives  the  maniple  at  the 
Indulgentiain  after  the  Confiteov.  The  sign  of  the  Cross 
is  made  at  the  Introit  because  it  begins  the  Mass  :  the 
Kyrie  at  Low  Mass  is  said  in  the  centre  of  the  altar, 
while  the  old  custom  of  saying  it  at  the  Epistle  side 
is  still  kept  at  High  Mass.  The  Gloria  in  excelsis  was 
said  at  Mass  until  the  eleventh  century  by  Bishops 
only  on  Sundays  and  feasts,  and  by  priests  only  at  the 
Mass  of  Easter  Sunday.  The  Pax  vobis  said  by  the 
Bishop  after  the  Gloria  instead  of  the  Dominus  vobiscum, 
is  taken,  according  to  some  writers,  from  the  Gloria, 
and  is  possibly  a  vestige  of  the  Bishop's  privilege. 

Benedict  XIV.  gives  another  and  far  better  explana- 
tion. Bishops  say  Pax  vobis  after  the  Gloria  on  festivals. 
If  the  Gloria  be  not  said,  the  Bishop's  salutation  is 
the  same  as  the  priest's,  Dominus  vobiscum.  The  Bishop 
possesses  the  fulness  of  the  priesthood,  and  therefore 
more  closely  represents  Jesus  Christ  than  a  simple 
priest.  And  Pax  vobis  was  our  Lord's  greeting  to 
His  disciples  in  the  joy  of  the  Resurrection.  These 


INTRODUCTORY  CHAPTER. 


words,  then,  are  fittingly  said  after  the  Gloria.  In 
the  other  salutations  at  Mass  the  Bishop  says  the 
Dominus  vobiscum  to  show  that  he  is  counted  in  the 
number  of  priests. 

At  High  Mass,  the  deacon,  before  saying  the 
Munda  cor  meum,  places  the  Missal  on  the  altar.  This 
reminds  us  of  the  ancient  times  when  the  Gospels,  as  a 
mark  of  honour  and  respect,  lay  on  the  altar  upon 
a  stand  during  Mass.  We  have  now  only  one  Missal 
on  the  altar  at  Mass,  in  the  earlier  centuries  two  or 
three  books  were  used.  Various  customs  still  survive 
during  or  after  the  Offertory,  which  link  the  present 
with  the  past.  Thus,  the  Oremns,  as  said  immediately 
before  the  Offertory,  seems  meaningless  in  its  present 
position  unless  it  refers  to  a  prayer  formerly  inserted 
before  the  antiphon  which  we  now  call  the  Offertory. 
For  a  thousand  years  the  faithful  at  the  Offertory,  as 
mentioned  in  this  book,  made  their  offering  of  bread 
and  wine  for  the  altar,  and  wheat,  oil,  honey,  and  other 
gifts  for  the  support  of  the  clergy.  We  are  reminded 
of  this  custom  by  two  very  striking  Rubrics  which  occur 
at  the  ordination  of  the  priest  and  the  consecration  of 
a  Bishop.  The  Roman  Pontifical  directs  that  after  the 
Offertory  has  been  read  by  the  Bishop  each  of  the 
newly-ordained  priests  is  to  offer  a  lighted  candle  to 
the  Bishop,  while  the  recently  consecrated  Bishop  is 
to  present  to  the  consecrating  Bishop  two  lighted 
torches,  two  loaves,  and  two  barrels  of  wine.  Some 
of  us  may  have  wondered  why  the  subdeacon  at%  High 


INTRODUCTORY  CHAPTER.  xxi 

Mass  takes  the  paten  from  the  deacon,  after  the 
oblation  of  the  chalice,  and  covering  it  with  a  long  veil 
holds  it  at  the  foot  of  the  altar  until  the  end  of  the 
Pater  noster.  The  Church  is  very  conservative,  and 
sooner  than  part  from  an  old  custom  she  retains  it, 
though  its  raison  d'etre  has  ceased.  The  custom  can 
be  traced  to  the  time  when  the  faithful  offered  bread 
and  wine  on  the  paten.  As  these  offerings  were  large 
and  larger  hosts  were  customary  then,  the  size  of  the 
paten  was  in  proportion,  and  being  inconvenient  on  the 
altar,  it  was  removed  and  kept  by  the  subdeacon  until 
needed  again  by  the  priest. 

Let  us  pass  now  to  another  vestige  of  an  ancient 
Rubric  kept  in  a  Votive  Mass.  The  nuptial  blessing 
is  given  in  the  Mass  for  the  Bride  and  Bridegroom  after 
the  Pater  noster  and  again  after  the  lie  Missa  est* 
Why  is  the  blessing  given  after  the  Pater  noster  ?  The 
blessing  is  the  survival  of  a  ceremony  which  has  long 
ceased  to  exist.  Bishops  in  the  earlier  centuries  gave 
a  special  blessing  after  the  Pater  noster  and  again  before 
the  Communion.  The  special  blessing  to  the  bride  and 
bridegroom  in  this  place  reminds  us  of  that  blessing 
given  by  the  Bishop.  The  second  prayer  at  the  end 
for  bride  and  bridegroom  was  found  in  the  nuptial  Mass 
before  the  practice  began  of  a  priest  blessing  the 
congregation  after  the  lie  Missa  est.  And  it  naturally 
keeps  its  place. 

Once  more.  In  churches  abroad  and  at  home 
men  sometimes  occupy  one  side  of  the  church  and 


INTRODUCTORY  CHAPTER. 


women  the  other.  One  reason  for  this  separation  of  the 
sexes  was  because  of  the  kiss  of  peace  given  after  the 
Agnus  Dei.  In  ancient  times  the  pax  or  kiss  of  peace 
was  common  to  every  High  Mass  (except  Solemn 
Requiem),  and  at  least  every  male  member  of  the  con- 
gregation received  it.  Now  the  pax  is  given  only  at 
High  Mass  to  those  who  are  in  the  sanctuary.  But  the 
separation  of  the  sexes  sometimes  continues,  although 
one  special  motive  of  the  separation  has  disappeared.1 
Finally,  let  me  give  one  more  instance  of  a  rite  which 
is  no  longer  allowed  in  the  Mass  of  a  priest  or  Bishop, 
and  is  found  in  the  solemn  Mass  of  the  Pope.  Up  to 
the  twelfth  century  Holy  Communion  was  administered 
to  the  faithful  under  both  kinds.  By  the  Council  of 
Constance,  in  1414,  the  celebrant  only  is  allowed  to 
receive  under  both  kinds.  When  the  laity  communi- 
cated under  both  species,  other  chalices  besides  that 
used  by  the  priest  were  employed;  the  deacon  usually 
administered  the  Chalice,  and  the  people  drank  the 
Precious  Blood  through  a  tube.  At  this  day  during 
the  Mass  said  by  the  Pope  over  the  tomb  of  the 
Apostles  at  Christmas,  Easter,  and  SS.  Peter  and  Paul, 
the  deacon  and  subdeacon  are  privileged  to  partake 
of  the  Precious  Blood.  A  solitary  instance  of  a  usage 
still  surviving  which  was  almost  universal  in  the 
Church  for  at  least  eleven  hundred  years. 

The  reader  will  find  the  Rubrics  explained  in  their 
proper  place  where  the  meaning  is  not  self-evident. 

1  In  the  early  Church,  women  were  always  separated  from  men, 
not  merely  at  Mass,  but  at  all  public  worship. 


INTRODUCTORY   CHAPTER. 


And  now  I  pass  to  the  third  motive  of  this  volume — 

THE  EXPLANATION  OF  THE  PRAYERS  IN  THE  ORDINARY 
OF  THE  MASS. 

On  this  the  greatest  possible  stress  has  been  laid. 
The  prayers  at  Mass  are  the  prayers  of  the  Church 
and  their  importance  cannot  be  exaggerated.  The 
Church  is  responsible  for  these  prayers.  She  watches 
over  every  word  in  the  Mass  with  anxious  care  and 
is  keenly  jealous  of  the  least  alteration  or  addition. 
In  proof  of  this  we  may  mention  that  about  1814  the 
Hoi)'  See  was  petitioned  to  add  the  name  of  St.  Joseph 
to  the  list  of  saints  in  the  prayer  Communicantes  in  the 
Canon.  The  request  was  refused.  Not  all  prayers, 
however  holy  and  beautiful,  even  written  by  saints  in 
approved  manuals  of  devotion,  can  claim  to  be  called 
the  prayers  of  the  Church.  Much  misunderstanding 
is  abroad  on  this  subject.  By  the  prayers  of  the  Church 
*re  mean  pre-eminently  the  Scriptures  (for  in  a  sense 
Scripture  from  Genesis  to  the  Apocalypse  can  be  called 
one  long  prayer),  and  such  prayers  as  are  prescribed 
in  the  Mass  and  in  all  liturgical  Services,  or  in  those 
rites,  Ambrosian,  Mozarabic,  Carmelite,  Carthusian, 
Dominican,  &c.,  &c.,  which  the  Church  has  approved. 
In  these  she  teaches  her  doctrine  and  preserves  her 
creed.  The  well-known  theological  axiom  must  not 
be  forgotten,  lex  supplicandi  est  lex  credendi — her  prayers 
are  the  rule  of  her  belief.  It  may  safely  be  said  that 
the  prayers  at  Mass  are  the  warmest  outpourings 


xxlv  INTRODUCTORY  CHAPTER. 

of  the  Church's  loving  heart  in  the  sublimest  act  of 
worship  which  earth  offers  to  Heaven.  No  words  can 
possibly  exaggerate  the  beauty  of  these  prayers  or  the 
reverent  tenderness  they  display  for  the  sacred  Majesty 
of  God.  Every  feeling  of  the  heart  finds  adequate 
expression  in  her  supplications  as  she  mourns  and 
rejoices,  thanks,  beseeches  and  invokes  her  Spouse. 
These  prayers  are  recommended  by  every  consideration 
that  excites  devotion.  As  the  prayers  of  the  Church  they 
are  in  matters  of  faith  divinely  preserved  from  error> 
and  they  teach  us  how  to  pray  as  no  other  prayers  can. 
They  bear  the  consecration  of  age.  The  Canon,  as  we 
read  it  to-day,  is  almost  unchanged  since  the  beginning 
of  the  seventh  century,  604,  when  St.  Gregory  the  Great 
died.  For  1,300  years,  then,  virgins  and  martyrs  and 
confessors,  the  needy  and  the  weary  and  the  heavily 
laden,  the  penitent  sinner,  the  innocent  child,  the 
monarch  in  his  palace,  the  prisoner  under  sentence  of 
death  have  found  all  the  heart  longs  for  in  the  very  same 
words  which  we  say  to-day  in  hearing  Mass.  Why  are 
these  prayers  so  little  used  by  the  Catholic  laity  ?  Why 
is  the  popular  manual  preferred  to  the  Missal  ?  Why 
are  the  prayers  of  a  man  dearer  than  the  prayers  of 
the  Church  ?  The  only  answer  is  that  the  Ordinary  of 
the  Mass  is  not  known  and  studied,  and  therefore  is  not 
appreciated  and  loved  as  it  deserves.  The  prayers  of 
Mass  demand  and  abundantly  repay  the  same  study 
which  a  diligent  student  gives  to  his  classical  author  or 
to  some  splendid  passage  in  Shakespeare,  Dante,  or 


INTRODUCTORY  CHAPTER. 


Milton.  Remember  that  the  Mass  has  the  privilege 
of  arousing  the  warmest  love  of  the  saint  and  the 
undying  hatred  of  the  heretic.  Whenever  heresy 
arises,  its  most  bitter  persecution  is  reserved  for  the 
Mass,  and  in  no  land  did  that  persecution  wax  more 
furious  than  in  England.  A  love  of  the  Mass  is  an 
infallible  test  of  a  nation's  faith ;  where  devotion  to 
Mass  is  weak,  the  faith  is  certain  to  wane.  If  you  wish 
to  find  a  people  who  have  kept  the  faith  through  an 
almost  passionate  love  for  the  Mass,  look  at  Ireland, 
where  in  Dublin  alone  some  40,000  hear  Mass  daily. 

To  increase  the  love  for  Holy  Mass  I  have 
endeavoured  to  explain  every  word  and  allusion  found 
in  the  Ordinary  of  the  Mass  which  throws  light  on  the 
doctrine  of  the  Blessed  Eucharist,  as  also  those  expres- 
sions and  phrases  which  to  many  are  unintelligible 
because  they  may  never  have  been  explained. 

This  little  book  is  meant  for  all  classes ;  for  the 
educated  and  the  labouring  man,  for  the  home,  the 
convent,  ecclesiastical  seminaries,  for  boys  and  girls 
at  school,  and  especially  for  converts.  Priests  may 
sometimes  find  in  it  thoughts  of  saints  and  theologians 
that  will  make  the  privilege  of  ministering  at  the  altar 
even  more  highly  prized. 

In  conclusion,  I  have  to  express  my  deep  indebted- 
ness to  the  following  works:  Rock's  Hiemrgia,  the 
Catholic  Dictionary  (Sixth  Edition,  1903),  Le  Brun's 
famous  treatise  on  the  Mass,  Canon  Oakeley's  Explana- 
tion of  the  Ceremonies  of  the  Mass,  Benedict  XIV.  on  the 


INTRODUCTORY  CHAPTER. 


Mass,  Father  Hunter's  Outlines  of  Dogmatic  Theologyr 
Father  Gerard's  Religious  Instruction  for  Catholic  Youth; 
and,  above  all,  to  the  most  valuable  compilation  in  two 
volumes  by  Dr.  Gihr — Le  Saint  Sacrifice  de  la  Messe,  Son 
explication  dogmatique,  liturgique  et  ascetique.  His  book 
cannot  be  too  highly  praised ;  besides  its  intrinsic 
merits,  the  learned  author  has  grouped  together  passages 
from  great  theologians  and  saints,  our  safest  guides  on 
the  Doctrine,  Rubrics,  and  Prayers  of  Mass. 

Scripture  Manuals  are  arranged  for  the  Oxford  and 
Cambridge  Local  Examinations,  and  were  the  Ordinary 
of  the  Mass  the  subject  for  Examination,  it  is  hoped 
that  this  book  would  to  some  degree  help  the  student 
to  pass  in  its  Doctrine,  Rubrics,  and  Prayers.  Instruc- 
tion is  my  object ;  and  on  instruction  solid  piety  is 
founded. 

For  convenience  an  Index  is  added  at  the  end. 

M.  GAVIN,  S.J. 

114,  MOUNT  STREET,  LONDON,  W. 
The  Purification,  1903. 

QUESTIONS  ON  THE  INTRODUCTORY  CHAPTER. 

1.  What  is   meant   by   Rubrics  ?     Why   so   called  ?     To 
whom  are  we  indebted  for  the  Roman  Pontifical  ? 

2.  Give  the  derivation  of  the  word  Mass. 

3.  What  is  meant  by  the  Discipline  of  the  Secret  ? 

4.  Why  is  the  Pater  noster  said   audibly  at   Mass,   why 
secretly  in  various  offices  of  the  Church  ? 

5.  Explain  the  origin  of  the  Pax  vobis  said  by  the  Bishop 
after  the  Gloria. 

6.  Why  at  High  Mass  is  the  paten  taken  from  the  altar 
and  held  by  the  subdeacon  until  the  Pater  noster  ? 

7.  How  long  was  Communion  under  both  kinds  given  to- 
the  laity  ?     When  and  why  did  it  cease  ?     Is  it  given  at  any 
Mass  now  ? 


PREFACE   TO   THE    SECOND   EDITION. 


The  Second  Edition  of  this  book  on  the  Sacrifice  of 
the  Mass  has  been  carefully  revised  and  corrected.  By 
the  kindness  of  friends,  errors  were  pointed  out  to  me 
which  had  crept  into  the  text,  and  they,  it  is  hoped, 
have  been  removed. 

Some  additions  have  been  made  in  the  body  of 
the  book  and  an  Appendix  has  been  added  on  the 
Language  of  the  Mass.  Many  non-Catholics  and  some 
well-meaning  Catholics  are  earnest  in  their  demand  for 
the  use  of  the  vernacular  in  Church  Services.  There 
can  be  no  objection  to  the  vernacular  in  Services 
which  are  extra-liturgical ;  but  we  have  endeavoured 
to  show  that  the  law  which  prescribes  Latin  as  the 
language  of  the  Mass  in  the  Western  Church  is  another 
proof  of  the  wisdom  more  than  human  which  guides 
her  counsels. 

M.  GAVIN,  S.J. 

114,  MOUNT  STREET,  LONDON,  W. 
Whit  Sunday,  1903. 


PREFACE  TO  THE  FOURTH  EDITION. 


The  Fourth  Edition  of  this  little  book  is  now  offered  to 
the  public.  Alterations  have  been  made  in  the  order 
of  the  Chapters,  with  some  slight  additions  here  and 
there  in  the  body  of  the  book.  The  Language  of  the 
Mass,  which  formed  an  Appendix  to  the  Second  and 
Third  Editions,  appears  here  as  Chapter  VI.  Mass  in 
the  Eighth  Century  is  the  subject  of  Chapter  VII.  Gihr's 
Holy  Sacrifice  of  the  Mass  :  Christian  Worship,  its  Origin  and 
Evolution,  by  Mgr.  Duchesne,  and  Ordo  Romanus  Primus, 
with  Introduction  and  Notes  by  Mr.  E.  G.  Cuthbert 
F.  Atchley  have  helped  me  considerably  in  writing 
the  fresh  Chapter.  But  chiefly  am  I  indebted  to 
Father  Herbert  Lucas,  S.J.,  of  Stonyhurst  College, 
for  his  kindness  in  revising  and  correcting  the  Chapter. 

May  I  hope  that  from  the  study  of  these  few  pages, 
some  laymen  and  students  in  Ecclesiastical  Seminaries, 
will  be  induced  to  consult  the  works  of  great  liturgists, 
living  and  dead  ? 

Questions  are  added  at  the  end  of  the  Chapters. 


M.  GAVIN,  S.J. 


114,  MOUNT  STREET,  LONDON,  W. 
The  Purification,  1906. 


CHAPTER   the    FIRST. 


THE   DOCTRINE  OF  THE  SACRIFICE  OF 
THE   MASS. 

THE  Eucharist  is  both  Sacrament  and  Sacrifice. 
There  are  several  points  of  difference  between  the 
Eucharist  as  a  Sacrament  and  as  a  Sacrifice.  The 
efficacy  of  the  Sacrifice  lies  in  its  being  offered,  and  of 
the  Sacrament  in  its  being  received.  The  Eucharist  as 
a  Sacrament  increases  our  merit,  and  gives  to  the  soul 
all  the  advantages  that  food  gives  to  the  body.  As  a 
Sacrifice  the  Eucharist  is  not  only  a  source  of  merit  but 
also  of  satisfaction  for  sin.  The  Eucharist  as  a  Sacra- 
ment benefits  alone  the  person  who  communicates :  the 
graces  and  blessings  obtained  through  the  Sacrament 
for  others  are  due  to  the  goodness  of  God.  But  as  a 
Sacrifice  the  Eucharist  is  offered  for  and  benefits  the 
whole  Catholic  Church,  and  its  satisfactorial  power  is 
extended  to  all  faithful  Christians  living  and  dead. 
Lastly,  the  chief  end  of  the  Holy  Eucharist  as  a 
Sacrament  is  our  own  sanctification,  while  its  chief 
end  as  a  Sacrifice  in  the  Mass  is  the  supreme  worship 
of  God.  There  is  consequently  a  clear  difference 
between  the  Eucharist  as  a  Sacrament  and  as  a 
Sacrifice. 

The  Council  of  Trent  (Sess.  xxii.  can.  22)  defines  the 
B 


THE  SACRIFICE  OF  THE  MASS. 


Mass  to  be  a  true  and  proper  Sacrifice;  and  says  "it  is 
one  and  the  same  Victim  and  the  same  Offerer  now  offer- 
ing by  the  ministry  of  His  priests  Who  then  offered 
Himself  on  the  Cross,  only  the  manner  of  offering  is 
different."  The  Council  has  not  defined  a  Sacrifice. 
Sacrifice  is  commonly  held  to  be  an  offering  of  a  sub- 
stantial thing  made  to  God  by  a  fitting  minister  through 
its  destruction,  or  equivalent  destruction.  Sacrifice  is 
made  to  God  alone;1  His  supreme  dominion  over 
life  and  death  is  shown  in  the  destruction  of  the 
victim,  who  is  slain  instead  of  the  sinner  in  acknow- 
ledgment of  his  guilt  to  appease  the  anger  of  God. 

The  Mass,  according  to  the  Penny  Catechism,  is  the 
Sacrifice  of  the  Body  and  Blood  of  Jesus  Christ,  really 
present  on  the  altar  under  the  appearances  of  bread  and 
wine,  and  offered  to  God  for  the  living  and  the  dead. 

In  the  Mass  there  is  all  that  we  need  for  a  true 
Sacrifice:  (i)  a  visible  thing,  i.c.,  the  Body  and  Blood 
of  Christ  under  the  appearances  of  bread  and  wine ; 

(2)  the  offering  is  made  by  Christ  through  His  minister; 

(3)  there  is  the  mystical  destruction  in  the  separate  con- 
secration of  bread  and  wine;  (4)  Mass  is  offered  to  God 
alone — never   to  saints  or  to  our  Lady ;    (5)  Mass  is 
offered  for  the  living  and  dead,  "for  all  faithful  Christians 
living  and  dead,"  as  the  Church  says  at  the  Offertory. 

QUESTIONS  ON  CHAPTER  I 

1.  State  clearly  the  difference  between  the  Eucharist  as  a 
Sacrament  and  as  a  Sacrifice. 

2.  What  is  meant  by  a  Sacrifice  ? 

3.  Show  that  in  the  Mass,  as  denned  by  the  Council  of 
Trent,  there  is  a  true  Sacrifice. 

1  See  Trent,  Sess.  xxii.  cap.  3,  where  the  Council  teaches  that 
though  the  Mass  is  said  in  honour  and  in  the  memory  of  the 
Saints,  sacrifice  is  offered  not  to  them  but  to  God  alone  who 
crowned  them. 


CHAPTER   the   SECOND. 


THE  ESSENCE  OF  THE   MASS. 

WE  have  to  distinguish  between  the  essence  of  the 
Mass  and  an  integral  portion  of  the  Mass. 

By  the  essence  of  a  thing  we  mean  that  by  which 
the  thing  is  what  it  is ;  flour  and  water  are  of  the 
essence  of  a  loaf  of  bread.  By  the  integral  portion  of 
a  thing  we  mean  something  needed  to  its  completeness 
though  not  to  its  existence.  The  body  of  a  man  with 
an  arm  cut  off  is  still  a  human  body  though  not 
perfect. 

Nearly  all  theologians  are  agreed  that  the  essence 
of  the  Mass  consists  in  the  consecration  of  the  bread 
and  wine  at  the  Elevation.  Most  certainly  were  a 
priest  to  say  all  the  prayers  at  Mass  and  to  omit  the 
Consecration,  there  would  be  no  Sacrifice.  There 
would  then  be  a  bare  commemoration  of  the  Sacrifice 
of  Calvary — just  what  the  Council  of  Trent  defines  the 
Mass  not  to  be.  (Sess.  ii.  can.  3.) 

Why  are  nearly  all  the  theologians  agreed  that  the 
essence  of  the  Mass  consists  in  the  Consecration  under 
two  kinds  ?  Because  the  Consecration  under  two  kinds 
represents  the  mystical  death  of  Jesus  Christ. 

The  Council  of  Trent  defines  the  Mass  to  be  a  real 
Sacrifice — also  a  re-presentation  of  the  death  of  out 


THE  ESSENCE  OF  THE  MASS. 


Lord.  Mass  is  a  commemoration  of  the  death  of  the 
Lord,  a  showing  forth  of  the  death  of  our  Lord. 

In  the  consecration  of  the  bread  and  wine  we  find 
all  that  is  needed.  For  the  Sacrifice  of  the  Cross 
consisted  in  the  death  of  our  Lord,  and  the  death  of 
our  Lord  was  caused  by  the  shedding  of  His  Blood. 

To  be  a  sacrifice  there  must  either  be  a  real  death 
or  a  mystical  destruction  of  the  victim.  A  real  death 
there  cannot  be  in  the  Man  Christ,  for  Christ  died  once, 
and  dies  no  more. 

The  mystical  destruction  (mystical,  that  is,  by 
sign  or  symbol,  not  real),  a  showing  forth  of  the 
death  of  our  Lord,  is  seen  in  the  double  Consecration. 
For  in  virtue  of  the  words  of  consecration  the  Body 
alone  is  under  the  appearance  of  bread,  and  the  Blood 
alone  is  under  the  appearance  of  wine.  Our  Lord's 
death  was  due  to  the  separation  of  His  Body  and 
Blood,  and  as  by  the  force  of  the  words  at  the  consecra- 
tion there  is  a  separation  of  the  Body  and  Blood,  there 
is  a  re-presentation,  a  re-enactment,  a  showing  forth  of 
the  death  of  the  Lord. 

By  these  words,  "  Do  this  in  commemoration  of 
Me,"  as  the  Council  of  Trent  (Sess.  xxiii.  can.  2) 
has  defined,  our  Lord  commands  all  priests  to  con- 
secrate in  both  kinds,  bread  and  wine,  and  the 
consecration  in  both  kinds  makes  the  Sacrifice.  If  the 
priest  consecrates  bread  only,  or  wine  only — there  is  no 
Eucharistic  Sacrifice — our  Lord's  command  has  not 
been  fulfilled. 

Receiving  under  both  kinds  is  for  the  priest  a 
strict  obligation  because  of  our  Lord's  command.  The 
Communion  of  the  priest  belongs  to  the  integrity  or 
completeness  of  the  Sacrifice. 

So  strictly  does  the  Church  interpret  this  obligation 


THE   FOUR   ENDS  OF  SACRIFICE.  5 

that  should  a  priest  faint  or  die  after  consecration  of 
the  bread,  another  priest,  if  one  be  available,  must 
consecrate  the  wine  and  finish  the  Mass,  even  though 
he  has  broken  his  fast.  The  Communion  of  the  priest 
under  both  kinds  is  enjoined,  as  just  stated,  by  Divine 
command  and  required  for  the  completeness  of  the 
Sacrifice ;  in  such  a  case  the  law  of  fasting  before 
Communion  yields  to  the  higher  law  of  God  to  complete 
the  Sacrifice  by  receiving  under  the  appearance  of  wine. 
It  may  be  asked  what  is  the  difference  between 
the  Mass  at  the  Last  Supper  and  the  Mass  said  to-day 
by  the  priest  ?  In  the  Mass  at  the  Last  Supper 
(i)  Christ  celebrated  in  person,  and  He  now  celebrates 
by  the  ministry  of  His  priests ;  (2)  Christ  at  the  Last 
Supper  consecrated  a  mortal  Body,  His  own,  which 
was  to  die  on  the  morrow  ;  the  priest  now  consecrates 
the  immortal  Body  of  Jesus  Christ ;  (3)  Christ  at  the 
Last  Supper  by  His  Mass  merited  and  satisfied  afresh ; 
in  the  Mass  as  said  by  the  priest,  there  is  no  new 
merit  or  satisfaction.  The  Mass  is  only  the  applica- 
tion of  the  merits  and  satisfactions  gained  by  Jesus 
Christ  on  the  Cross. 

THE   FOUR  ENDS   OF  SACRIFICE. 


The  four  ends  of  Sacrifice  are — (i)  for  God' s 
honour  and  glory ;  (2)  in  thanksgiving  for  all  His 
benefits ;  (3)  to  obtain  pardon  for  our  sins ;  (4)  to 
obtain  all  graces  and  blessings  through  Jesus  Christ. 

First ;  for  God's  honour  and  glory.  Honour  is  the 
outward  expression  of  the  inward  respect  the  heart 
feels ;  glory  means  knowledge  and  praise.  The  honour  is 
greater  in  proportion  to  the  thing  offered,  to  the  service 
rendered  ;  its  value  chiefly  depends  on  the  position 


<>  THE    FOUR  ENDS  OF  SACRIFICE. 

cf  the  person  who  pays  the  honour.  In  Mass  the 
thing  offered  is  infinite,  namely,  Jesus  Christ  the  Victim, 
and  the  Offerer  is  infinite  also,  the  same  Jesus  Christ. 
From  every  point  of  view  then  the  Sacrifice  is  of 
infinite  value. 

Once  more.  The  Mass  is  Calvary  over  again.  Not 
by  His  life  but  by  His  death  He  redeemed  our  sins  on 
the  Cross.  In  the  Mass  there  is  the  repetition  of  the 
humiliation  of  the  Cross.  Christ  as  a  Victim  is  shown 
to  us  under  the  appearances  of  bread  and  wine — the 
double  consecration  which  by  force  of  the  words  parts 
the  Body  from  the  Blood  and  the  Blood  from  the 
Body,  is  by  this,  as  we  have  just  seen,  the  "  memorial" 
of  the  death  of  Christ,  a  re-presentation  of  the  shedding 
of  His  Blood  on  the  Cross,  a  showing  forth  of  the 
death  of  the  Lord.  Consiimmatiun  est  means,  amongst 
other  things,  that  the  greatest  act  of  honour  and 
worship  has  been  paid  to  God. 

Secondly ;  Mass  is  offered  in  thanksgiving  for  all 
His  benefits. 

The  word  Eucharist  means  thanksgiving,  and 
the  Church  in  calling  the  Blessed  Sacrament  thanks- 
giving teaches  us  one  of  the  ends  of  Its  institution. 

The  Preface  is  the  introduction  to  the  Canon 
as  a  preface  is  the  introduction  to  the  book.  The 
introduction  often  explains  the  purpose  of  the  book. 
The  words  of  the  Preface,  Vere  dignum  et  justum 
est,  aequum  et  salutare,  nos  tibi  semper  et  ubique 
gratias  agere — "  It  is  truly  meet  and  just,  right  and 
salutary,  that  we  should  always,  and  in  all  places,  give 
thanks  to  Thee,"  would  be  meaningless  unless  thanks- 
giving were  included  in  the  Sacrifice  about  to  begin. 

Since  everything  that  we  have  and  all  that  we 
are  come  from  God,  reason  teaches  that  we  are 


THE  FOUR  ENDS  OF  SACRIFICE. 


bound  to  thank  God  for  all  that  He  has  done  for  us. 
Our  thanks  are  unworthy  of  Him,  as  we  are  sinners  and 
He  is  infinitely  holy.  Mass  supplies  our  deficiencies, 
and  the  offering  of  the  Divine  Victim  to  the  Father  by 
Jesus  Christ  Himself  is  of  infinite  value  independently 
of  the  virtues  and  vices  of  the  priest  who  celebrates. 
The  Church  again  insists  on  thanksgiving  in  the  Gloria 
in  excelsis,  in  the  familiar  words :  Gratias  agimus  tibi, 
propter  magnam  gloriam  tuam — "  We  give  Thee 
thanks  for  Thy  great  glory."  This  is  the  very  highest 
form  of  thanksgiving  in  which  all  thought  of  self  is 
lost  in  gratitude  for  the  glory  which  encircles  the 
Godhead.  Mass  then  infallibly,  as  the  work  of  Christ 
and  offered  by  Christ,  gives  glory  and  thanksgiving  to 
God. 

Thirdly;  Mass  is  offered  to  obtain  pardon  of  our  sins. 
Two  things  are  to  be  considered  in  sin — (i)  its  guilt; 
(2)  its  punishment.  Mass  as  it  helps  to  the  forgiveness  of 
sin  is  propitiatory,  in  its  power  of  cancelling  punishment 
it  is  satisfactory.  The  Council  of  Trent  teaches  (Sess.xxii. 
ch.  2)  that  this  "  Sacrifice  is  truly  propitiatory,  and  that 
forgiveness  of  sins  and  of  enormous  crimes  is  obtained 
by  those  who  with  a  true  heart  and  right  faith,  with 
fear  and  reverence,  contrite  and  penitent,  approach  to 
God."  The  Mass  then  obtains  the  pardon  of  mortal  and 
venial  sins  and  of  the  temporal  punishment  due  to  sin. 

The  Mass  as  propitiatory  appeases  the  anger  and 
justice  of  God.  "  The  Lord,  being  appeased  by  the 
offering  of  this  Sacrifice,  granting  grace  and  the  gift 
of  repentance,  wipes  away  crimes  and  even  enormous 
sins."  (Council  of  Trent,  Sess.  xxii.  ch.  2.)  A  distinctive 
effect  of  this  Sacrifice  is  that  by  it  God  is  appeased, 
as  a  man  forgives  an  offence  on  account  of  some 
homage  which  is  paid  him.  For  Mass  does  not 


THE  FOUR  ENDS  OF  SACRIFICE. 


forgive  sins  directly  and  immediately,  like  Baptism  and 
Penance.  Mass  appeases  the  anger  of  God,  and  obtains 
from  Him  the  grace  of  repentance.  Man  can,  if  he 
chooses,  reject  the  grace  and  remain  in  sin;  the  free 
acceptance  of  this  grace  enables  the  creature  to  tura 
to  God  by  Faith,  Hope,  Charity,  and  Sorrow,  and  thus 
to  receive  worthily  those  sacraments  which  of  them- 
selves forgive  all  his  sins. 

The  propitiatory  power  of  the  Mass  disarms  God's 
justice  ;  the  impetratory  power  draws  down  His  mercy. 
Indirectly  Mass  causes  the  conversion  of  sinners  as  a 
propitiatory  Sacrifice  appeasing  God's  anger,  leaving 
scope  for  His  mercy  ;  in  so  far  as  it  is  impetratory^ 
it  obtains  the  grace  of  repentance,  which  may  be 
accepted  or  rejected.  The  propitiatory  power  is 
infallible  as  Christ's  work,  that  is,  the  Lord  is  in 
some  ways  appeased,  though  to  what  extent  cannot  at 
present  be  known.  This  depends  on  the  free-will  of 
God  and  on  the  dispositions  of  the  creature. 

The  power  of  the  Mass  to  forgive  sins  is  more  clearly 
understood  by  selecting  a  particular  case.  Let  us  take 
a  simple  illustration.  Suppose  a  mother  has  a  Mass 
offered  for  each  of  her  sons,  John  and  James.  John  is 
leading  a  bad  life;  James  is  a  practical  Catholic  and 
is  free  from  mortal  sin.  What  effect  on  John  has  the 
Mass  said  for  him  ?  It  may  be  altogether  barren  of 
result,  because  John  can  reject,  if  he  likes,  "  the  grace 
and  gift  of  repentance,"  which  the  Council  of  Trent 
speaks  of.  (Sess.  xxii.  ch.  2.)  We  are  certain  at  least  of 
this ;  first,  that  Mass  necessarily  and  infallibly  appeases 
to  some  extent  the  anger  of  God  which  John  has  pro- 
voked by  his  sins  ;  secondly,  that  it  obtains  from  God 
necessarily  and  infallibly  grace  which,  though  not  always 
«f  itself  sufficient  at  the  moment  to  cause  John's  conver- 


THE  FOUR  ENDS  OF  SACRIFICE. 


sion,  goes  some  way  towards  it.  Many  Masses  may  be 
needed  before  John's  conversion  is  secured.  If  John 
does  what  in  him  lies  he  will  get  further  grace  to  stir 
his  heart  to  repentance,  and  to  seek  reconciliation  and 
pardon  in  the  Tribunal  of  Penance.  The  Council  of 
Trent,  in  the  passage  quoted  above,  must  not  be  under- 
stood to  teach  that  Mass  of  itself  forgives  "  enormous 
crimes."  Mass  does  not  forgive  the  sins  of  John. 
Mass  wins  for  John,  supposing  he  accepts  and  uses  the 
grace  offered,  the  additional  grace  to  make  a  good 
confession,  and  thus  to  have  his  sins  forgiven. 

Let  us  now  turn  to  James,  who  is  free  from  grave 
sin.  What  benefit  does  he  receive  from  the  Mass  said 
for  him  ?  First,  that  Mass  as  the  action  of  Christ, 
who  is  the  chief  Celebrant  in  every  Mass,  necessarily 
and  infallibly  satisfies  for  some  of  the  temporal  punish- 
ment due  to  past  sins,  the  guilt  of  which  has  been 
forgiven ;  secondly,  as  an  impetratory  Sacrifice  it 
obtains  fresh  graces  for  James,  strengthening  him 
against  temptation  or  fall,  enabling  him  to  lead  a 
holier  life  and  to  persevere  in  God's  service. 

By  Mass  also  (Council  of  Trent,  Sess.  xxii.  ch.  i) 
we  obtain  forgiveness  of  daily  small  faults  through  those 
actual  graces  which  urge  us  to  sorrow  and  repentance. 
For  no  sin  great  or  small  is  ever  forgiven,  after  we  have 
come  to  the  use  of  reason,  without  sorrow  and  purpose 
of  amendment. 

Mass  remits  the  punishment  of  the  living  due 
to  mortal  and  venial  sins  after  the  guilt  has  been 
forgiven  in  virtue  of  its  being  satisfactory.  This 
remission  is  infallible,  relying  on  the  merits  of  Christ ; 
but  to  what  extent  punishment  is  remitted  remains 
unknown.  St.  Thomas  says  :  "Although  this  offering  of 
the  Mass,  so  far  as  its  quality  goes,  is  sufficient  to  cancel 


THE  FOUR   ENDS  OF  SACRIFICE. 


all  the  pain  due  to  sin  on  this  earth,  nevertheless  it  is 
satisfactory  to  those  for  whom  it  is  offered  or  to  the 
offerer  according  to  the  quality  of  his  devotion,  and  not 
for  all  the  punishment  due  to  his  sin."  (S.  Th.  3.  q.  79. 
^3.) 

In  the  case  of  the  dead,  Mass  infallibly  cancels 
a  portion  of  the  punishment  in  Purgatory,  though  how 
much  we  cannot  tell.  The  Church  sanctions  a  perpetual 
Mass  for  the  same  soul,  and  thereby  admits  that  she 
does  not  know  how  far  the  satisfactions  of  Christ  are 
applied  to  that  soul. 

Further,  it  should  be  remembered  that  the  propitia- 
tory or  appeasing  power  of  the  Mass  saves  the  world  in 
general  and  men  in  particular  from  many  punishments 
which  otherwise  their  sins  would  receive,  such  as  war, 
famine,  plague,  sickness,  and  other  temporal  misfortunes. 

Fourthly ;  the  impetratory  power  of  the  Mass  obtains 
all  graces  and  blessings  through  Jesus  Christ.  If  all 
prayer  be  a  means  of  obtaining  graces  and  blessings  from 
God,  prayer  joined  with  Sacrifice,  as  in  the  Mass,  ought 
to  be  more  powerful  still.  Are  our  petitions  as  made 
through  the  Mass  infallibly  heard?  Yes,  if  they  be  for 
our  good  and  in  accordance  with  God's  Providence. 
But  the  power  of  the  Mass  as  a  means  of  obtaining 
a  favourable  answer  to  our  prayers  depends  on  the 
dispositions  of  the  person  for  whom  it  is  offered,  and  of 
the  person  who  offers. 

We  have  considered  the  Mass  with  Jesus  Christ 
as  Chief  Celebrant,  and  those  graces  and  advantages 
which,  because  of  the  Chief  Offerer,  are  placed  within 
our  reach,  if  we  choose  to  take  them.  These  graces 
are  obtained  ex  open  operato,  by  virtue  of  the  act  done. 

Mass  for  the  Dead,  or  a  Black  Mass,  as  we  familiarly 
call  it,  so  far  as  concerns  the  essential  part  of  the  Sacrifice, 


THE   FOUR   ENDS   OF   SACRIFICE. 


the  offering  of  the  Body  and  Blood  of  Jesus  Christ,  is  the 
same  in  value  as  Mass  for  the  living.  But  if  we  con- 
sider the  value  of  the  prayers,  that  Mass,  according  to 
the  teaching  of  St.  Thomas,  is  more  profitable  to  the 
soul  in  which  there  are  fixed  prayers  for  the  dead  and 
the  dead  only.  The  devotion  of  the  priest  who  says 
Mass  for  the  dead,  or  of  him  who  has  the  Mass  offered, 
or  the  intercession  of  the  Saint  in  whose  honour  the 
Holy  Sacrifice  is  celebrated,  may  more  than  compensate 
for  the  loss  of  those  accidental  graces  which  belong  to 
the  Requiem  Mass.  (5.  Th.  Supplem.  q.  72.  a.  9.  ad  5.) 

Mass  said  by  a  bad  priest  is  of  the  same  value  as 
said  by  a  good  one,  so  far  as  the  essential  value  of  the 
Mass  is  concerned.  But  it  is  certain  that  the  -better 
disposed,  the  holier,  the  more  fervent  a  priest  is,  the 
greater  grace  and  glory  he  merits  with  God  :  he  obtains 
more  graces  for  others  and  secures  for  himself  a  larger 
share  in  our  Lord's  satisfactions.  (Sporer,  Theol.  Sacram. 
p.  it.  ch.  5.) 


QUESTIONS  ON  CHAPTER  II. 

1.  In  what  does  the  essence  of  the  Mass  consist  ? 

2.  Show  that  in  the   Mass  there  is  a  re-presentation   and 
Commemoration  of  the  Death  of  our  Lord. 

"1  3.  If  bread  or  wine  alone  be  consecrated,  is  there  a  true 
Sacrifice  ? 

4.  State  the  difference  between  Mass  at  the  Last  Supper 
and  Mass  as  said  by  a  priest  now. 

5.  Explain  how  Mass  obtains  the  pardon  of  mortal  sins. 

6.  Explain  how  Mass  obtains  the  pardon  of  venial  sins. 

7.  What  is  meant  by  the  Mass  (i)  as  propitiatory,  (2)  as 
satisfactory,  (3)  as  impetratory  ? 

8.  Is  there  any  difference  between  Mass  said  by  a  good 
and  by  a  bad  priest,  so  far  as  the  faithful  are  concerned  ? 

g.  What   is   meant   by  Jesus  Christ  being  the  chief  offerer 
in  the  Mass  and  what  benefits  do  we  derive  from  that  fact  ? 


CHAPTER   the   THIRD. 


THE  CONSECRATION   OF  THE  ALTAR. 

FOUR  words  are  inseparably  connected :  Sacrifice, 
Priest,  Victim,  Altar. 

Sacrifice  as  we  have  seen  is  a  supreme  act  of  worship 
offered  to  God  alone  by  a  lawful  minister  to  show 
God's  supreme  dominion  and  to  satisfy  for  sins.  A  priest 
by  his  ordination  has  the  power  of  consecrating  the 
Body  and  Blood  of  Jesus  Christ  and  of  absolving  from 
sin.  A  priest  offers  Sacrifice.  The  Victim  is  the  thing 
offered  in  sacrifice. 

The  altar  is  the  place  where  the  Sacrifice  is  offered. 
•'We  call  all  that,"  says  Bellarmine,  "the  altar  where 
the  Victim  is  sacrificed  that  has  been  made  by  the 
hands  of  the  priest."  (De  Missa,  vol.  i.  ch.  xxvii.) 

The  altar  is  the  most  important  object  in  the 
church.  The  church  is  erected  for  the  sake  of  the 
altar  and  not  the  altar  for  the  church.  Remove 
the  altar,  and  the  raison  d'etre  of  the  church  has  gone. 

The  altar  is  for  the  Blessed  Eucharist.  "  In  the 
Blessed  Eucharist,"  says  St.  Thomas,  "  there  is  con- 
tained the  cause  of  all  sanctity,  therefore  everything 
connected  with  the  Blessed  Eucharist  is  consecrated ; 
Ihe  priests,  ministers,  vestments,  the  vessels  appertain- 


THE   CONSECRATION   OF   THE   ALTAR.  13 

ing  to  the  Sacrifice,  are  consecrated."  (S.  Th.  vi.  Dist. 
q.  i.  a.  2.) 

Blessings  are  divided  into  two  classes :  (benedictiones 
invocativcz]  blessings  that  invoke  God's  favour  and  pro- 
tection merely,  and  blessings  that  set  things  aside 
to  the  service  of  God  alone  (benedictiones  constitutive]. 
Those  things  belong  to  the  first  class,  which  after  being 
blessed  are  still  retained  for  man's  use  and  benefit,  v.g., 
food  blessed  in  the  grace  before  meals.  The  second 
refers  to  the  sacred  vestments  and  such-like  things, 
and  in  a  much  higher  degree  to  the  altar  consecrated 
by  chrism  and  the  holy  oils. 

The  altar  may  be  of  wood  or  stone.  The  latter  being 
more  durable  is  preferred.  The  altar  on  which  our 
Lord  is  said  to  have  instituted  the  Blessed  Sacrament 
preserved  in  St.  John  Lateran  at  Rome,  and  the  altar  at 
which  St.  Peter  is  thought  to  have  said  Mass  still 
existing  in  the  same  church,  are  of  wood. 

The  horizontal  slab  of  wood  or  stone  forming  the 
top  of  the  altar  is  called  the  Table,  on  which  the  Sacred 
Body  rests  given  to  man  as  Food  ;  while  the  whole 
altar,  partly  from  its  shape  and  partly  from  its  connec- 
tion with  the  Sacrifice,  and  because  it  holds  the  relics, 
is  described  as  the  tomb. 

We  speak  of  a  fixed  and  of  a  portable  altar,  or  altar- 
stone.  A  fixed  altar  consists  of  a  single  block  of  stone 
or  wood,  or  it  has  a  table,  as  the  Pontifical  describes, 
united  by  cement  to  the  base,  so  as  to  be  irremovable. 

In  a  portable  altar  the  altar  stone  can  be  separated 
from  its  base  without  losing  its  consecration. 

The  portable  altar,  a  square  piece  of  stone  let  into 
the  altar,  is  to  all  intents  the  altar.  It  should  be 
large  enough  to  hold  on  its  surface  the  Chalice  and 
Host. 


i4  THE  CONSECRATION  OF  THE   ALTAR 

On  the  fixed  altar,  as  on  the  altar-stone,  five  crosses 
are  engraved,  one  at  each  corner  and  one  in  the 
centre. 

The  altar  is  consecrated  by  a  Bishop  or  by  a  priest 
specially  delegated  by  the  Pope. 

The  most  essential  parts  of  the  rite  consist  in  the 
anointing  with  chrism  (to  indicate  according  to  Gavantus 
the  richness  of  grace)  and  the  placing  of  relics  in  the 
sepulchre  or  aperture  made  in  the  altar-stone  and 
afterwards  filled  up.  (Catholic  Dictionary,  p.  23.) 

The  Bishop  makes  five  crosses  on  the  altar-stone 
with  his  thumb,  which  he  has  dipped  in  a  preparation 
of  water,  ashes,  salt,  and  wine  specially  blessed. 

An  essential  part  of  the  consecration  is  depositing 
the  relics  of  the  martyrs  in  the  altar  :  per  merita  sanctorum 
tuorum  quorum  religuia  hie  stint — "by  the  merits  of  Thy 
saints  whose  relics  are  here" — relics  properly  so  called, 
that  is,  portions  of  the  bodies  of  martyrs,  not  merely 
the  clothes  they  wore,  or  things  they  possessed,  must 
be  buried  in  the  altar.  Relics  of  martyrs,  not  con- 
fessors, are  selected  because  there  is  a  close  connection 
between  the  martyr  who  dies  for  the  faith  and  the 
Sacrifice  of  Calvary,  where  Christ,  the  King  of  Martyrs, 
shed  His  Blood  for  the  Gospel  which  He  taught,  the 
faithful  whom  He  redeemed,  and  the  Church  which  He 
founded. 

During  the  Anglo-Saxon  times,  instead  of  the 
relics  of  martyrs,  the  Sacred  Host  was  buried  and 
enclosed  in  the  sepulchre  of  the  altar.  The  reason 
of  this  practice  was  perhaps  the  great  difficulty  of 
communicating  with  Rome  in  those  days  and  in  obtain- 
ing portions  of  the  saints'  bodies.  (See  Father  Bridgett's 
History  of  the  Blessed  Eucharist  in  Great  Britain.) 


THE  CONSECRATION  OF  THE  ALTAR.  15 

A  word  as  to  the  Tabernacle. 

In  England,  before  the  sixteenth  century,  the  Blessed 
Sacrament  was  suspended  in  a  case  from  the  ceiling 
over  the  high  altar,  and  deposited  in  a  pyx,  which  may 
have  been  under  lock  and  key.  In  France  and  in  the 
East  the  vase  was  in  the  form  of  a  dove  hung  from  the 
ceiling — the  practice  never  seems  to  have  existed  in 
Italy. 

In  Scotland  there  are  at  this  day  several  instances 
of  the  Sacrament  House,  where  the  Blessed  Sacrament 
was  kept  in  the  church.  There  still  exist  the  survivals 
at  least  of  the  Sacrament  House  in  some  parts  of 
Germany. 

Tabernacles,  as  we  now  see  them  in  England,  date 
from  some  period  of  the  sixteenth  century. 

Altar-cloths  are  blessed  by  the  Bishop  or  a  priest 
authorized  by  the  Bishop.  They  are  three  in  number, 
or  one  cloth  doubled  with  the  top  cloth  lying  over  it. 
The  latter  should  cover  the  altar  and  reach  the  ground, 
the  under  cloths  cover  the  table  of  the  altar. 


QUESTIONS  ox  CHAPTER  III. 

1.  What  is  meant  by  Priest,  Victim,  and  Altar? 

2.  What  is  meant  by  and  what  required  for  the  Consecration 
of  an  Altar  ? 

3.  Why   are  the    relics   of   martyrs  placed  in  the  Altar P 
Was  the  Blessed  Sacrament  ever  enclosed  in  the  sepulchre  of 
the  Altar? 

4.  What  is  a  Tabernacle,  and  a  Sacrament  House  ? 


CHAPTER   the    FOURTH. 


THE  VESTMENTS  AT   MASS. 

*l  THE  Liturgical  vestments  of  the  Christian  ministry 
are  merely  the  costume  worn  by  civilians  of  the  Roman 
empire  in  the  fifth  and  sixth  centuries.  In  the  days  of 
Pope  Celestine  (423 — 432),  there  was  at  Rome  no 
liturgical  costume  distinct  from  that  of  a  lay  civilian." 
(Ordo  Romanus  Primus,  with  Introduction  and  Notes 
by  E.  G.  Cuthbert  F.  Atchley,  p.  26.)  Mr.  Atchley 
goes  on  to  quote  a  letter  to  the  Bishops  of  the  Provinces 
of  Vienne  and  Narbonne  in  which  Pope  Celestine 
condemns  any  departure  in  liturgical  dress  from  the 
ordinary  costume. 

Vestments  are  always  blessed  by  the  Bishop  or 
priest  before  being  worn  at  the  altar.  The  vestments 
worn  during  Mass  are  the  amice,  alb,  girdle,  maniple, 
stole,  and  chasuble. 

The  amice  was  originally  a  covering  for  the  head 
and  shoulders.  It  now  consists  of  one  oblong  piece 
of  linen  with  two  strings  and  with  a  cross  in  the  centre. 
Members  of  many  Religious  Orders  wear  the  amice  over 
the  hood  while  they  advance  to  the  altar  for  Mass,  and  in 
beginning  the  Mass  let  down  the  amice  on  the  shoulders. 
The  amice  is  their  berretta  or  priest's  cap,  which  is 
taken  off  at  the  beginning  of  Mass.  A  berretta  is  a 
square  cap  with  three  or  sometimes  four  corners.  The 
four-cornered  berretta  belongs  to  Doctors  of  Divinity. 
"  At  Rome,"  says  Benedict  XIV., "  and  in  most  churches, 


THE  VESTMENTS. 


the  berretta  was  unknown  as  late  as  the  ninth  century. 
Its  ecclesiastical  use  began  when  priests  gave  up  the 
ancient  custom  of  covering  their  heads  with  the  amice 
till  the  actual  beginning  of  the  Mass."  (Cath.  Diet. p.  86.) 

As  the  priest  puts  on  the  amice  he  repeats  the 
words  :  Imponc,  Domine,  capiti  meo  galeam  salutis  ad  expug- 
nandos  diabolicos  incur sus — "  Place,  O  Lord,  on  my  head 
the  helmet  of  salvation,  that  so  I  may  resist  all  the 
assaults  of  the  devil." 

After  the  amice  comes  the  alb,  which  was  undoubt- 
sdly  some  sort  of  tunic  or  inner  garment  reaching  to 
the  ground.  Formerly  clerks  in  minor  orders  wore 
a  shorter  alb  ;  from  this  rose  the  surplice  now  worn  by 
the  priest  and  the  rochet  by  the  Bishop.  The  priest 
says  :  Dealba  me,  Domine,  et  munda  cor  meum,  ut  in  Sanguine 
Agni  dealbatus  gaudiis  per f mar  sempiternis — "  Make  me 
white,  O  Lord,  and  cleanse  my  heart ;  that  being  made 
white  in  the  blood  of  the  Lamb,  I  may  deserve 
eternal  reward." 

The  whiteness  of  the  alb  signifies  the  purity  of  con- 
science which  should  belong  to  a  priest. 

The  girdle  is  required  to  fasten  the  alb  and  to 
prevent  it  from  trailing  along  the  ground ;  it  also 
signifies  chastity  :  Pvcecinge  me,  Domine,  cingulo  puritatis 
et  extingue  in  lumbis  meis  humorem  libidinis,  ut  maneat  in  me 
virtus  continentia  et  castitatis — "  Gird  me,  O  Lord,  with 
the  girdle  of  purity,  and  quench  in  my  reins  the  fire 
of  concupiscence  :  that  the  virtue  of  continence  and 
chastity  may  abide  in  me." 

Next  the  maniple.  Originally  it  served  the  purpose 
of  a  cloth  or  handkerchief,  but  since  the  ninth 
century  it  has  become  one  of  the  priest's  vestments. 
It  is  of  the  same  colour  as  the  chasuble  and  stole. 

The  priest  says,  while  he  places  the  maniple  on  his 
c 


r8  THE  VESTMENTS. 


left  arm :  Merear,  Domine,  portave  manipulum  fletus  et  doloris, 
ut  cumcxultatione  ncipiam  mercedem  laboris — "  May  I  deserve, 
O  Lord,  to  bear  the  maniple  of  tears  and  sorrow,  that 
with  joy  I  may  receive  the  reward  of  my  labour." 

The  stole  is  really  an  abridgment  of  the  orarium. 
Round  the  neck  was  placed  an  oblong  piece  of  linen, 
called  the  orarium,  which  was  by  women  spread  in 
time  of  prayer  over  the  head  and  shoulders,  falling 
round  the  body  like  a  veil.  The  orarium  worn  by 
ecclesiastics  was  bordered  with  streaks  of  purple,  and 
when  in  course  of  time  its  dimensions  were  contracted, 
these  ornaments  were  retained  as  marks  of  honour, 
while  the  plain  linen  portions  were  cut  away,  so  that 
it  was  reduced  to  a  band  which  surrounded  the  neck 
and  fell  down  below  the  knees  on  both  sides  of  the 
body.  (Rock,Hierurgia,  vol.  ii,  p.  223.) 

The  stole  is  worn  differently  by  the  deacon,  priest, 
and  Bishop  at  Mass.  The  deacon  wears  it  from  the 
left  shoulder  under  the  right,  where  it  is  tied ;  the  priest 
in  the  form  of  a  cross  across  the  breast,  there  it  is 
fixed  by  the  Bishop  at  ordination ;  and  as  the  Bishop 
has  the  cross  on  his  breast,  the  stole  drops  down  at 
either  side  in  the  same  way  as  the  priest  wears  it  while 
preaching. 

Taking  the  stole,  the  priest  says:  Redde  mihi,  Domine, 
stolam  immortalitatis,  quant  perdidi  in  pvcevavicatione  primi 
parentis,  et  quamvis  indignus  accedo  ad  tuum  sacrum  mysterium, 
merear  tamen  gaudium  sempittvnum — "  Restore  me,  O  Lord, 
the  stole  of  immortality  which  I  lost  in  the  transgres- 
sions of  our  first  parent ;  and  although  unworthy  to 
approach  Thy  Sacred  Mysteries,  may  I  deserve  to 
inherit  eternal  joys." 

The  chasuble  is  the  chief  vestment  worn  by  the  priest 
at  Mass.  Originally  its  shape  was  very  different  from 


THE  VESTMENTS.  tg 


that  in  use  now.  It  completely  covered  the  body — the 
only  aperture  was  at  the  top  for  the  head.  In  the 
eleventh  century  the  shape  was  altered  and  the  sides 
were  opened.  It  then  took  the  form  of  a  Gothic  chasuble. 
This  shape  was  preserved  until  the  sixteenth  century. 
After  that  time  the  chasuble  was  further  cut  away 
until  it  reached  its  present  shape.  On  the  face  of  the 
Roman  chasuble  we  have  the  cross,  on  the  back  the 
column,  though  sometimes  in  the  Roman  vestment 
there  is  a  cross  also  on  the  back. 

Originally  there  can  be  no  doubt  the  chasuble  was  the 
garment  worn  over  other  clothes,  and  corresponding  to 
what  we  call  an  overcoat.  The  Romans  wore  a  large 
outer  garment  on  military  service,  called  the  paenula  or 
mantle.  In  the  first  half  of  the  sixth  century  we  find 
the  first  traces  of  the  paenula  as  an  ecclesiastical 
garment.  Did  it  at  once  become  distinctive  of  the 
priesthood  ?  The  question  admits  of  no  certain  answer. 
(Cath.  Diet.  p.  162.) 

The  priest,  while  putting  on  the  chasuble,  says  : 
D omine  qui  dixistijugum  meum  suave  est  et  onus  meum  leve, 
fac  ut  istud  portare  sic  valeam  quod  consequav  tuam  gratiam — 
"  O  Lord,  who  hast  said,  My  yoke  is  sweet  and  My 
burden  is  light,  grant  me  so  to  bear  Thy  yoke  that 
I  may  obtain  Thy  grace."1 

The  veil  covers  the  chalice.  The  burse  holds  the 
corporal,  and  is  in  shape»like  a  square  envelope.  The 
corporal,  so-called  from  corpus  (a  body),  because  on  it 
rests  the  Body  of  the  Lord  after  the  consecration,  is 
a  square  piece  of  linen  with  a  cross  in  the  centre. 
The  pall  is  a  linen  covering  on  the  top  of  the  chalice 

1  As  there  is  no  necessary  connection  between  the  various 
prayers  just  quoted  and  the  vestments,  no  attempt  has  designedly 
been  made  to  explain  the  meaning  of  these  prayers. 


io  THE  COLOURS  OF  THE    VESTMENTS. 

to  prevent  dust  or  flies  from  falling  into  the  Precious 
Blood.  Originally  the  corporal  was  larger  than  at 
present,  and  acted  as  a  pall,  being  folded  back  over  the 
chalice. 

The  purificator  is  an  oblong  piece  of  linen  cloth, 
stretched  over  the  mouth  of  the  chalice,  and  it  is  used 
to  wipe  the  mouth,  the  chalice,  and  the  paten. 

Corporal  and  pall  are  blessed  ;  the  purificator  need 
not  be  blessed. 

The  chalice  is  the  cup  used  in  Mass  for  the  wine 
which  is  to  be  consecrated.  The  rubrics  of  the  Missal 
require  that  it  should  be  of  gold  or  silver,  or  at  least 
have  a  silver  cup  gilt  inside.  The  chalice  is  conse- 
crated by  the  Bishop,  who  anoints  the  interior  of  the 
cup  with  chrism,  using  at  the  same  time  the  prayers 
prescribed  by  the  Ritual. 

The  paten  is  a  plate  used  from  the  earliest  times 
to  receive  the  Host  consecrated  at  Mass.  The  side 
on  which  the  Host  rests  must  be  gilt.  The  paten  is 
also  consecrated  by  a  Bishop. 

THE  COLOURS  OF  THE  VESTMENTS. 

THE  following  directions  for  the  colours  of  vestments 
at  Mass  are  translated  from  the  General  Rubrics 
(Rubrics  generales)  found  at  the  beginning  of  the  Roman 
Missal  (Ratisbon,  1902,  p.  20) : 

"  i.  The  ornaments  (pammenta)  of  the  altar,  and  the 
vestments  of  the  Celebrant  and  Ministers  should  be  of 
the  colour  agreeing  with  (convenientis)  the  Office  and 
Mass  of  the  day,  according  to  the  custom  of  the 
Roman  Church,  which  uses  five  colours — white,  red, 
green,  purple,  and  black. 

"  2.  White  is  used  from  the  Vespers  of  the  Vigil  of 
the  Nativity  until  the  Octave  of  the  Epiphany,  both 


THE  COLOURS  OF  THE  VESTMENTS.  21 

days  included,  except  on  Feasts  of  martyrs  which  occur 
within  the  octave  ;  on  the  Feast  of  the  Most  Holy  Name 
of  Jesus,  on  Maundy  Thursday,  on  Holy  Saturday 
at  the  celebration  of  Mass,  and  from  that  day  in  the 
Office  of  the  Season  till  None  on  Saturday,  the  Vigil 
of  Pentecost,  except  at  the  Mass  when  Litanies  are 
sung,  and  at  the  Mass  on  Rogation  Days  ;  on  the  Feast 
of  the  Most  Holy  Trinity;  on  the  Feast  of  Corpus 
Christi ;  on  the  Feast  of  the  Sacred  Heart ;  on  the 
Feast  of  our  Lord's  Transfiguration  ;  on  Feasts  of  the 
Blessed  Virgin  Mary,  except  at  the  blessing  of  Candles 
and  at  the  procession  which  takes  place  on  the  Feast  of 
the  Purification  ;  on  Feasts  of  the  Angels ;  on  the 
Nativity  of  St.  John  the  Baptist ;  on  the  principal 
Feast  of  St.  John  the  Evangelist,  which  is  celebrated 
within  the  Octave  of  the  Nativity  ;  on  both  the  Feasts 
of  St.  Peter's  Chair  ;  on  the  Feast  of  St.  Peter's  Chains  ; 
on  the  Conversion  of  St.  Paul ;  on  the  Feast  of  All 
Saints ;  on  Feasts  of  Confessors,  whether  Bishops  or 
not,  and  on  the  Feasts  of  Doctors  ;  on  Feasts  of  Holy 
Virgins  not  Martyrs,  and  on  Feasts  of  Holy  Women 
neither  Virgins  nor  Martyrs  ;  on  the  Dedication  and 
Consecration  of  a  church  or  altar,  at  the  Consecration 
of  the  Pope,  on  the  Anniversary  of  the  Creation  and 
Coronation  of  the  same,  and  of  the  Election  and 
Consecration  of  a  Bishop.  White  is  also  used  during  the 
octaves  of  the  above-named  Feasts  which  have  octaves, 
when  the  Mass  of  the  octave  is  said,  and  on  Sundays 
occurring  within  the  octave,  when  on  them  is  said  the 
Mass  of  the  Sunday,  except  on  those  Sundays  to  which 
purple  is  assigned.  White  is  also  used  at  Votive  Masses 
of  the  above-named  Feasts,  at  whatever  time  they  are 
said  ;  and  at  the  Mass  for  Bridegroom  and  Bride. 

"  3.  Red  is  used  from  the  Vigil  of  Pentecost  at  Mass 


2i  A  THE  COLOURS  OF  THE  VESTMENTS. 

till  the  end  of  None  and  Mass  on  the  following 
Saturday  ;  on  the  Feasts  of  the  Holy  Cross  and  of  the 
Most  Precious  Blood  of  our  Lord,  on  the  Feast  of  the 
Beheading  of  St. John  the  Baptist;  on  the  Feast  of 
the  holy  Apostles  Peter  and  Paul,  and  on  the  Feasts  of 
the  other  Apostles  (except  on  the  principal  Feast  of 
St.  John  the  Evangelist  after  the  Nativity  of  our  Lord  ; 
on  the  Feasts  of  the  Conversion  of  St.  Paul,  St.  Peter's 
Chair  and  St.  Peter's  Chains).  Also  on  the  Feast  of 
St. John  before  the  Latin  Gate;  on  the  Feast  of  the 
Commemoration  of  St.  Paul  the  Apostle;  on  the  Feasts 
of  Martyrs  (except  on  the  Feast  of  the  Holy  Innocents, 
when  it  falls  on  a  week-day  ;  should  this  Feast  fall  on  a 
Sunday  red  is  used,  but  on  the  octave  red  is  always  used, 
on  whatever  day  it  occurs) ;  on  Feasts  of  Holy  Virgins 
Martyrs,  and  of  Holy  Women  Martyrs  and  not  Virgins. 
Also  during  the  octaves  of  the  above-named  Feasts 
which  have  octaves,  when  the  Office  is  of  the  octave ; 
and  on  the  Sundays  falling  within  those  octaves,  as  has 
been  said  above  for. white.  Also  in  Votive  Masses  of 
the  above-named  Feasts,  and  in  the  Mass  for  the 
Election  of  a  Pope. 

"  4.  Green  is  used  from  the  Octave  of  the  Epiphany 
to  Septuagesima,  and  from  the  Octave  of  Pentecost  to 
Advent,  the  latter  excluded,  whenever  the  Office  is  of 
the  Season  ;  but  the  following  are  excepted  :  Trinity 
Sunday  as  ordered  above,  Sundays  falling  within 
octaves  when  the  colour  of  the  octaves  is  retained, 
and  Vigils  and  Ember  Days  as  hereafter  prescribed. 

"  5.  Purple  is  used  from  the  first  Sunday  of  Advent 
at  first  Vespers,  until  Mass  on  the  Vigil  of  the  Nativity 
inclusive,  and  from  Septuagesima  Sunday  till  before 
Mass  on  Holy  Saturday  whenever  the  Office  is  of  the 
Season ;  the  following  are  excepted :  Maundy  Thursday, 


THE  COLOURS  OF  THE  VESTMENTS.  21  B 

when  white  is  used,  Good  Friday,  when  black  is  used, 
as  hereafter  prescribed,  at  the  blessing  of  the  Candle 
on  Holy  Saturday,  when  the  deacon  (and  the  deacon 
alone),  while  saying  the  Preface  thereof  wears  white, 
(having  finished  the  Preface  he  wears  purple,  as  before). 
Purple  is  also  used  on  the  Vigil  of  Pentecost  before 
Mass  from  the  first  prophecy  to  the  blessing  of  the  font 
inclusively;  on  Ember  Days  and  Vigils  on  which  there  is 
a  fast,  except  the  Vigil  and  Ember  Days  of  Pentecost ; 
at  the  Mass  of  the  Litanies  on  the  Feast  of  St.  Mark  the 
Evangelist,  and  the  Rogation  Days,  and  at  the  proces- 
sions which  take  place  on  these  days.  On  the  Feast 
of  the  Holy  Innocents  when  it  does  not  fall  on  a 
Sunday  ;  at  the  blessing  of  Candles  on  the  Feast  of  the 
Purification  of  our  Blessed  Lady,  and  at  the  Blessing 
of  Ashes  and  of  Palms,  and  on  Palm  Sunday  itself;  in 
the  processions  of  these  days  and  generally  in  all 
processions,  except  processions  of  the  Most  Holy 
Sacrament,  and  those  which  take  place  on  the  greater 
Feasts,  or  in  thanksgiving.  Also  in  Masses  of  the 
Passion  of  our  Lord,  in  Masses  for  any  necessity,  for 
sins,  for  the  grace  of  a  happy  death,  for  the  destruction 
of  schism,  against  Pagans,  in  time  of  War,  for  Peace, 
against  Pestilence,  for  Travellers,  and  for  the  Sick. 

"  6.  Black  is  used  on  Good  Friday,  and  in  all  the 
Offices  and  Masses  of  the  Dead." 

QUESTIONS  ON  CHAPTER  IV. 

1.  Give  the  names  of  the  vestments  worn  by  the  Priest  at  Mass. 

2.  In  what  does  the  present  use  of  the  Amice  differ  from 
its  original  purpose  ? 

3.  Distinguish  between  the  Alb,  Surplice,  and  Rochet. 

4.  What  is  the  Maniple  ?  and  the  Stole  ?  how  is  the  Stole 
worn  by  Bishop,  Priest,  and  Deacon  ? 

5.  Give  the  origin  of  the  Chasuble. 

6.  What  is  the  Burse,  Corporal,  Purificator,  Paten,  Chalice  ? 

7.  Of  what  colours  are  the  vestments  used  by  the  Church 
at  Mass  ? 


CHAPTER    the    FIFTH. 


THE   ASPERGES. 

THE  Asperges,  so  called  from  the  opening  words  of  the 
antiphon,  Asperges  me,  Domine,  hyssopo  et  mundabor :  lavabis 
me  et  super  nivem  dealbabor — "  Thou  shalt  sprinkle  me 
with  hyssop,  O  Lord,  and  I  shall  be  cleansed :  Thou 
shalt  wash  me,  and  I  shall  be  made  whiter  than  snow," 
is  a  solemn  act  of  purification  by  which  the  Church 
prepares  her  altar,  temple,  and  worshippers  for  the 
holy  mysteries  of  which  the  material  church  is  about  to 
be  the  scene,  and  the  faithful  the  sharers.  At  this 
Service  she  makes  use  of  holy  water,  which  has  been 
blessed  for  the  use  of  the  faithful.  (Oakeley,  Ceremonies  of 
the  Mass,  p.  105.) 

The  antiphon  says,  "  Thou  shalt  sprinkle  me  with 
hyssop,  and  I  shall  be  cleansed,"  because  in  Exodus 
(xii,  22),  by  command  of  Moses,  the  transom  of  the  door 
was  sprinkled  by  the  bunch  of  hyssop  dipped  in  the 
blood  of  the  lamb,  to  save  from  the  destroying  angel 
and  thus  to  figure  our  redemption  by  the  Blood  of 
Christ — and  in  Leviticus  (xiv.  51),  the  hyssop  is  to  be 
left  in  the  blood  of  the  sparrow  that  is  to  be  immolated 
and  the  house  is  to  be  sprinkled  seven  times  to  cleanse 
it  from  leprosy.  This  antiphon  the  Church  very 
fittingly  uses  while  the  priest  sprinkles  holy  water, 
imploring  mercy  and  forgiveness. 

The  priest  vested  in  a  cope  of  the  colour  proper  to 


THE  ASPERGES.  23 


the  day  proceeds  to  the  altar,  and  kneeling,  sprinkles 
the  altar  three  times  with  holy  water.  He  makes  the 
sign  of  the  Cross  with  holy  water  on  his  own  person, 
and  rises,  sprinkles  the  ministers,  intones  the  antiphon 
Asperges,  which  the  choir  takes  up,  proceeding  to  sing 
the  following  words  of  the  verse,  and  the  first  verse 
of  the  Psalm  Miserere  in  which  they  occur,  after  which 
the  first  words  (at  least)  of  the  antiphon  are  repeated. 
The  priest,  reciting  in  a  low  voice  the  Miserere,  walks 
down  the  church  and  sprinkles,  the  people,  and  returns 
to  the  altar  to  recite  the  following  verses,  responses, 
and  prayer : 

V.  O  Lord,  show  us  Thy  mercy. 

R.  And  grant  us  Thy  salvation. 

V.  O  Lord,  hear  my  prayer. 

R.  And  let  my  cry  come  unto  Thee. 

V.  The  Lord  be  with  you. 

R.  And  with  thy  spirit- 

Let  us  pray. 

Hear  us.  Holy  Lord,  Almighty  Father,  Eternal  God ;  and 
vouchsafe  to  send  from  Heaven  Thy  holy  angel  to  guard, 
cherish,  protect,  visit,  and  defend  all  who  dwell  in  this 
habitation  ;  through  Christ  our  Lord.  Amen. 

The  versicle  and  response  will  be  explained  later  in 
the  Mass.  The  appeal  to  "Thy  holy  angel"  is  to  the 
angel  whose  special  duty  is  either  to  watch  over  the 
church  where  Jesus  Christ  is,  to  be  on  guard  as  soldiers 
say,  or  to  the  angel  referred  to  in  the  prayer  in  Mass 
after  the  Elevation  before  the  Memento  for  the  Dead — 
"  We  most  humbly  beseech  Thee,  Almighty  God,  com- 
mand these  things  to  be  carried  by  the  hands  of  Thy 
holy  Angel  to  Thy  altar  on  high;"  meaning,  perhaps, 
by  "  Thy  holy  Angel "  that  Blessed  Spirit  who  assists 
at  the  tremendous  Sacrifice. 


THE   ASPERGES. 


From  Easter  to  Whitsuntide  inclusively,  instead  of 
the  foregoing  antiphon,  the  following  is  sung  and 
Alleluia  is  added  to  the  V.  (Ostende  nobis)  and  also  to  its 
response  (Et  salutare) : 


Vidi  aquam  egredientem 
de  templo  a  latere  dextro, 
Alleluia ;  et  omnes  ad  quos 
pervenit  aqua  ista  salvi  facti 
sunt,  et  dicent,  Alleluia. 

Confitemini  Domino,  quo- 
niam  bonus;  quoniam  in  sascu- 
lum  misericordia  ejus.  (Ps. 

"70 

Gloria,  &c. 


I  saw  water  flowing  from  the 
right  side  of  the  temple, 
Alleluia :  and  all  to  whom 
that  water  came  were  saved, 
and  they  shall  say  Alleluia. 

Praise  the  Lord  for  He  is 
good  :  for  His  mercy  endureth 
for  ever.  (Ps.  117.) 

Glory,  &c. 


QUESTIONS  ON  CHAPTER  V. 

1.  What  is  the  meaning  of  the  ceremony  of  the  Asperges  P 

2.  Explain  the  allusion  in  the  sprinkling  with  hyssop,  and 
to  the  angel  in  the  words  "  vouchsafe  to  send  from  Heaven 
Thy  holy  angel." 


CHAPTER   the    SIXTH. 


THE    LANGUAGE    OF    THE    MASS. 

THE  Church's  services  may  be  classed  under  two- 
heads  :  liturgical  and  extra-liturgical.  By  liturgical 
services  I  mean  here  pre-eminently  the  Holy  Mass, 
and  next  the  Office  recited  by  priests  and  monks,  also 
all  services  in  the  Roman  Missal,  Breviary,  Pontifical, 
and  Ritual.  Such  services  are  official.  By  extra- 
liturgical  services  are  meant  the  additional  hymns, 
prayers,  and  devotions  found  in  popular  manuals  and 
approved  by  the  Bishop  of  the  diocese.  Liturgical 
services  are  prescribed  and  regulated  by  the  Holy  See 
alone ;  they  are  the  same  everywhere,  at  least  in  the 
Western  Church,  and  continue  through  the  centuries 
substantially  unchanged.  Extra-liturgical  services  are 
subject  to  the  revision,  direction,  and  approval  of  the 
Ordinary:  they  differ  much  at  different  times  and  in 
different  countries. 

The  extra-liturgical  services  are  wont  to  be  in  the 
vernacular  of  the  country  where  they  are  in  use,  but 
the  liturgical  services  are  always  in  Latin  in  the 
Churches  of  the  Western  rite.  We  say  of  the  Western 
rite,  for,  strictly  speaking,  the  Church  has  no  language 
distinctively  her  own.  If  at  this  moment  she  obliges 


26  THE  LANGUAGE  OF  THE  MASS. 

all  her  priests  in  the  Western  Church  to  celebrate 
Mass  in  Latin,  she  likewise  requires  those  clergy 
of  her  communion  who  follow  the  Oriental  rite, 
to  use  Greek  or  Syriac,  Coptic  or  Slavonic.  In 
p.  52  of  the  Catholic  Directory  for  1903  for  Great 
Britain,  under  the  general  heading  of  the  Oriental 
rite,  we  have  some  twelve  rites  with  six  different 
languages  prescribed  for  the  Holy  Sacrifice.  The 
Church,  then,  cannot  be  said  to  use  any  one  language 
to  the  exclusion  of  all  the  rest. 

But  the  fact  remains,  that  Latin  is  the  most  widely 
diffused  of  all  ritual  languages,  and  it  is  of  obligation 
in  the  liturgical  services  of  the  Western  Church. 
Non-Catholics  occasionally,  and  also  some  ill-instructed 
Catholics,  clamour  for  the  vernacular  in  Mass.  Can 
the  Pope  allow  Mass  to  be  said  in  the  vernacular 
of  any  country  ?  Most  unquestionably  he  can.  He 
cannot  change  a  single  point  of  doctrine,  or  any 
essential  point  of  the  discipline  which  our  Lord 
Himself  established.  But  the  choice  of  a  liturgical 
language  falls  under  neither  of  these  categories.  It  is 
a  matter  of  mere  ecclesiastical  law,  and  he  can  make 
or  unmake  laws  which  help  or  impede  the  Church's 
work  on  earth.  With  regard  to  the  use  of  the  Latin 
language,  the  Council  of  Trent  declares  (Sess.  xxii.  ch.  8, 
en  the  Sacrifice  of  the  Mass,  Denzinger,  823),  that  the 
Fathers  thought  it  inexpedient  to  have  Mass  said 
everywhere  in  the  vernacular ;  and  in  the  ninth  canon 
the  Council  condemns  those  who  maintain  that  Mass 
ought  only  to  be  celebrated  in  the  vulgar  tongue. 
(Denzinger,  833.)  The  Church's  authoritative  teaching 
then,  as  declared  by  the  Fathers  of  Trent,  was  com- 
prised in  these  two  points :  (i)  that  it  was  inexpedient 
to  say  Mass  everywhere  in  the  vernacular,  (2)  that  it 


THE  LANGUAGE  OF  THE  MASS.  27 


was  not  lawful  for  a  Catholic  to  hold  that  Mass  should 
be  said  only  in  the  vulgar  tongue.  It  is  hardly  possible 
for  the  voice  of  authority  to  speak  with  more  studied 
moderation. 

For  well-nigh  two  thousand  years  the  Church  has 
been  using  Latin  in  that  rite  which  counts  far  more 
members  than  all  others  together.  It  remains  for  us 
to  give  the  reasons  which  justify  her  in  adopting  and 
retaining  that  language.  It  is  not  denied  that  the 
Apostles  not  only  preached  but  celebrated  the  sacred 
rites  in  the  vernacular.  It  is  not  maintained  that 
St.  Peter  used  Latin  in  the  Church  services.  He  may- 
have  done  so ;  but  that  is  all  we  can  say,  for  at  that 
time  in  Rome  there  was  a  Greek-speaking  community. 
The  New  Testament  (except  perhaps  St.  Matthew  and 
the  Epistle  to  the  Hebrews)  was  written  in  Greek, 
and  this  fact  seems  to  show  that  the  educated  and 
influential  members  of  the  Church  were  more  familiar 
with  Greek  than  Latin.  It  is  also  probable  that  in  the 
West  the  first  missionaries  spoke  mainly  Greek,  which 
was  the  language  of  the  educated  class  throughout 
Europe.  The  Greek  inscriptions  on  the  tombs  of 
Popes  Fabian  (251),  Lucius  (252),  and  Eutychianus 
(275),  prove  that  Greek  was  the  official  language  of  the 
Holy  See  at  that  time,  as  De  Rossi,  a  great  authority 
on  the  subject,  points  out.  We  may  perhaps  take  the 
conversion  of  Constantine  (325),  as  about  the  date  when 
Greek  ceased  to  be  the  language  of  the  Church  in 
Rome.  Survivals  of  the  days  when  Greek  was  used 
in  the  Liturgy  of  the  Roman  Church,  may  be  seen, 
in  the  Kyvie  Eleison  said  at  all  Masses,  in  the  Trisagion. 
on  Good  Friday,  Agios  o  Theos,  Agios  ischvros,  Agios 
athanatos,  eleison  imas ;  and  in  the  singing  of  the  Epistle 
and  Gospel  in  Latin  and  Greek  during  the  Pope's- 


23  THE  LANGUAGE  OF  THE  MASS. 


Solemn  High  Mass  at  St.  Peter's.  (See  Dictionary  of 
Christian  Antiquities,  by  Cheetham  and  Smith,  vol.  ii. 
P.  1016,  London,  1875.) 

When,  however,  Roman  Christianity  was  first 
preached,  Latin  was  rapidly  becoming  the  common 
tongue  of  a  large  portion  of  Western  Europe. 
St.  Augustine  (353 — 430)  in  his  City  of  God,  tells  us 
that  Rome  imposed  her  language  on  the  subject -races. 
Latin  was  commonly  spoken  in  the  Roman  colony  of 
Africa,  and  St.  Augustine  says  he  learnt  Latin  in  the 
nursery.  Gaul  and  Spain  after  their  subjugation  by 
Rome  adopted  Latin,  and  the  upper  classes  knew 
something  of  it  even  in  distant  Britain.  The  Roman 
officials  are  said  to  have  spoken  Latin  throughout 
the  Western  Empire.  There  is  no  evidence  of  vernacular 
services  in  Britain  or  in  Ireland,  where  St.  Patrick 
(373 — 463)  and  his  followers  preached  the  Gospel.  It 
is  most  natural  to  suppose  that  the  missionaries  would 
have  employed  the  language  familiar  to  them  in  the 
Liturgy  of  Rome.  In  a  service  so  sacred  as  the  Mass, 
where  every  word  is  of  importance,  the  missionaries 
would  naturally  use  the  language  in  which  its  prayers 
were  learnt  by  heart.  For  Mass  in  those  early  times 
was  probably  said  from  memory.  The  Canon  was 
probably  not  written  before  the  fifth  century,  and  it  is 
admitted  that  the  Liturgies  which  bore  the  names  of 
SS.  Peter,  James,  and  Mark,  were  not  written  by  them, 
(Le  Bran,  Explication  de  la  Messe,  vol.  ii.  p.  14,  Paris,  1726.) 
That  the  Latin  of  the  Church's  Liturgy  was  not"under- 
standed  of  the  people,"  seems  scarcely  doubtful.  If  at 
this  day  in  Italy  the  peasantry  speak  several  dialects 
mutually  unintelligible,  is  it  likely  that  the  Latin  of 
Pope  Leo  I.  (440 — 460),  or  Gregory  the  Great  (590 — 
604),  was  understood  by  the  uneducated  classes  ?  What 


THE  LANGUAGE  OF  THE  MASS.  29 

was  true  of  Italy  was  more  likely  to  be  true  of  Africa, 
Gaul,  and  Spain  ;  of  England  and  of  Ireland.  There 
was  nothing  to  prevent  the  missionaries  from  teaching 
the  people  in  their  own  tongue  the  great  truths  of  the 
faith,  or  from  instructing  them  in  the  august  mysteries 
of  the  Adorable  Sacrifice,  while  they  reserved  for  the 
Mass  and  other  Offices  the  Latin  idiom,  which  with 
Hebrew  and  Greek,  the  three  languages  used  in  the 
inscription  upon  the  Cross  of  Calvary,  must  have 
possessed  a  sacred  character  in  their  eyes. 

A  further  question  may  be  asked,  Why  has  Latin 
been  retained  all  these  centuries  as,the  official  language 
of  the  Church  ?  Various  reasons  may  be  adduced. 
Latin  amongst  other  tongues  is  distinguished  by  its 
dignity,  gravity,  clearness,  and  precision.  The  ear  is 
naturally  struck  by  the  majesty  of  its  sentences  and 
the  harmony  of  its  cadences.  Latin  has,  moreover,  the 
great  advantage  of  being  readily  pronounced  even  by 
those  who  never  studied  it.  Music  is  of  obligation  in 
many  Church  services,  and  Latin  lends  itself  easily  to 
the  solemn  chants  of  the  Church's  liturgy.  Even  the 
poor  people,  as  we  call  them,  not  merely  in  Catholic 
countries  but  in  England,  sing  many  of  the  Latin 
hymns  by  heart. 

A  much  higher  reason  is  found  in  the  mission  of 
the  Church  on  earth.  She  is  not  limited  to  country  or 
race.  She  is  not  the  English  Church  nor  the  Russian. 
She  is  Catholic  or  universal.  She  is  for  "all  nations 
and  every  creature."  One  language  in  her  liturgy  is 
a  distinct  help  to  unity  of  worship.  Wherever  Catholics 
go,  they  kneel  before  the  same  altar,  and  hear  the  same 
prayers  in  a  common  language. 

But  the  strongest  reason  of  all  in  retaining  Latin  in 
a  liturgical  service  is  the  Church's  zeal  for  teaching 


30  THE  LANGUAGE  OF  THE  MASS. 

and  preserving  the  faith.  According  to  a  theological 
maxim — her  prayer  is  the  rule  of  her  belief.  Like  her 
Divine  Master  of  old,  she  opens  her  mouth  to  pray, 
and  in  her  prayer  she  teaches  the  multitude.  The 
Gloria  Patri  teaches  and  enforces  the  mystery  of  the 
Trinity ;  the  Church's  exorcisms  over  catechumens 
before  Baptism  imply  the  doctrine  of  original  sin ;  the 
necessity  of  grace  to  make  an  action  supernatural  and 
worthy  of  eternal  reward  is  inculcated  constantly  in 
her  public  supplications ;  her  prayers  for  the  dead 
from  earliest  ages  set  forth  her  teaching  on  Purgatory. 
Apart  from  the  Creed,  an  epitome  of  Catholic  belief 
said  at  Mass  on  Sundays,  holidays,  and  all  great 
festivals,  the  Church  during  the  Holy  Sacrifice  proclaims 
the  following  doctrines — the  Unity  and  Trinity  of 
God ;  the  Incarnation  and  Redemption  of  Christ ; 
His  blessed  Passion,  Resurrection,  and  glorious 
Ascension  ;  the  perpetual  virginity  of  our  Lady ;  the 
intercession  of  angels  and  saints;  the  veneration  due 
to  relics ;  the  Sacrament  of  Holy  Orders ;  the  reality 
and  necessity  of  sacrifice  ;  the  Real  Presence  of  Christ 
in  the  Eucharist  under  both  kinds ;  the  efficacy  of 
prayer  and  Mass  for  the  dead,  and  the  existence  of 
Purgatory.  The  truths  of  faith  are  necessarily  expressed 
in  words,  and  it  is  important  that  the  language  in 
which  they  are  expressed  should  always  remain  the 
same,  both  as  regards  the  words,  and  even  more 
as  regards  their  meaning.  A  vernacular  being  essen- 
tially a  living  language  fluctuates,  while  an  ancient 
tongue  like  the  Latin  is  fixed  and  stable  in  its  character. 
The  latter  is  much  better  adapted  to  the  exact  expression 
of  the  Church's  doctrine  and  rites  in  these  liturgical 
forms  which  play  so  large  a  part  in  handing  down  to 
successive  generations  the  revelation  of  God. 


THE  LANGUAGE  OF  THE  MASS.  31 

Let  us  now  consider  the  views  of  those  who  assert 
that  the  Mass  should  be  conducted  in  a  language 
"understanded  of  the  people."  The  objection  wherever 
found,  implies  an  unconscious  ignorance  of  the  true 
nature  of  the  Holy  Sacrifice.  Mass  is  not  merely  a 
prayer,  in  which  the  faithful  join,  as  they  take  part  in 
a  litany.  Mass  is  the  public  official  act  of  service  which 
is  said  in  the  name  of  the  Church  for  the  living  and  the 
dead.  Mass  is  offered,  not  by  any  one,  but  by  a  man  on 
whom  a  great  Sacrament  has  been  conferred  to  enable 
him  to  convert  bread  and  wine  into  the  Body  and  Blood 
of  our  Lord.  This  official  act  is  always  public,  because 
offered  in  the  name  of  the  Church.  A  private  Mass, 
strictly  speaking,  does  not  exist.  Mass  in  a  hermit's  cell 
without  a  server  is  a  magnificent  act  of  public  worship 
offered  by  the  Church  to  God  "for  all  faithful  Christians, 
living  and  dead."  The  people  do  join  in  the  Mass, 
but  they  cannot  offer  sacrifice  in  the  same  manner  as 
the  priest.  They  are  bound  to  be  present  at  Mass  on 
Sundays  and  holidays.  There  is,  however,  no  obligation 
to  follow  the  Mass  prayers.  The  poor  man,  saying  his 
beads,  most  certainly  fulfils  his  obligation  of  hearing 
Mass.  Is  it  not  strange,  too,  that  there  should  be  this 
cry  in  favour  of  the  vernacular,  when  half  the  Mass, 
and  that  the  more  important,  is  said  in  secret,  and  is 
inaudible  to  the  congregation  ? 

But  an  interesting  historical  incident  shows  the 
Church's  mind  as  to  the  kind  of  language  appropriate 
for  the  solemn  services  of  the  Mass.  Early  in  the 
seventeenth  century  the  Jesuit  missionaries  in  China, 
in  view  of  the  difficulty  the  Chinese  found  in  learning 
Latin,  petitioned  for  leave  from  Paul  V.  to  say 
Mass  and  Office  in  Chinese,  and  to  use  the  same 
language  in  administering  the  Sacraments.  Here  is  the 


THE  LANGUAGE  OF  THE  MASS. 


answer  of  the  Holy  Inquisition  on  March  26th,  1611, 
as  given  in  Le  Brun.  (Vol.  ii.  p.  241,  with  addition  xiv. 
Paris,  1726.) 


In  a  General  Congregation  of 
the  Holy  Roman  and  Universal 
Inquisition  held  in  the  Apostolic 
Palace  at  St.  Peter's  in  the  pres- 
ence of  our  most  holy  Lord 
Paul  V.  ...  His  Holiness  like- 
wise gave  leave  to  the  Fathers  to 
translate  the  holy  books  of  the 
Bible  into  the  Chinese  language, 
not  into  the  language  of  the 
people,  but  into  the  learned 
language  distinctive  of  educated 
men,  and  to  make  use  of  these 
books  thus  translated ;  at  the 
same  time  (Paul  V.)  commands 
that  in  the  translation  of  the 
Bible  the  Fathers  show  every 
conceivable  care  and  that  the 
translation  be  most  faithful,  and 
he  gives  leave  for  the  Divine 
service  of  the  Mass  and  of  the 
Canonical  Hours  to  be  said  by 
the  Chinese  missionaries  in  the 
same  Chinese  language.  Finally, 
he  gave  leave  for  the  Sacraments 
and  other  Ecclesiastical  rites  to 
be  administered  by  Chinese 
missionaries  in  the  same  classical 
Chinese  language. 

The  Holy  Office  in  reply  drew  a  distinction  between 
the  popular  Chinese  (lingiia  vulgaris)  as  now  spoken  by 
that  people  and  the  Chinese  spoken  by  the  learned 
and  literary  class.  Leave  was  given  to  the  Jesuit 
missionaries  to  translate  Bible  and  liturgy  into  the 
latter  (eruditam  et  litteratonim  pwpviam),  not  into  the 
former  (non  tamen  vulgarem).  A  Chinese  scholar  explains 


Feria  quinta  die  26  Martii, 
1611.  In  generali  Congregatione 
Sanctae  Romanse,  et  universalis 
Inquisitionis  habita  in  Palatio 
Apostolico  apud  Sanctum  Pet- 
rum  coram  Sanctissimo  Domino 
nostro  Paulo  V.  ...  Item  per- 
misit  Sanctitas  sua  iisdem 
Patribus,  ut  possint  transferre 
sacra  Biblia.  in  Linguam  Sin- 
arum,  non  tamen  vulgarem,  sed 
eruditam  et  litteratoram  pro- 
priam,  illisque  sic  translatis  uti, 
et  simul  mandat  ut  in  transla- 
tione  Bibliorum,  adhibeant  sum- 
mam  et  exquisitam  diligentiam, 
et  translatio  fidelissima  sit,  ac 
in  eadem  lingua  Sinarum  possint 
a  Sinis  celebrari  divina  officia 
Missarum  et  Horarum  Canonica- 
rum.  Denique  permisit  ut  in 
eadem  lingua  erudita  Sinarum, 
possint  a  Sinis  Sacramenta  minis- 
trari,  et  aliae  Ecclesise  functiones 
peragi. 


THE  LANGUAGE  OF  THE  MASS.        33 

to  me  the  point  of  this  distinction.  The  Chinese 
of  the  people  is  a  fluctuating  language,  comparable 
in  this  respect  with  the  vernacular  tongues  of  European 
nations.  The  learned  Chinese,  or  if  we  may  be 
allowed  the  expression,  the  classical  Chinese,  is  a 
language  of  ancient  origin,  going  back  to  the  time  of 
Confucius  (B.C.  500),  stable  in  its  forms  and  in  the 
meanings  attached  to  them,  and  bearing  the  same 
relation  to  modern  Chinese,  as  ancient  Latin  to  modern 
Italian. 

It  has  been  stated  in  an  earlier  part  of  this  article 
that  six  different  languages  are  at  the  present  moment 
in  the  East  sanctioned  by  the  Holy  See  in  the  celebra- 
tion of  Mass.  Not  one  of  these  languages,  so  I  am 
assured  by  an  Oriental  scholar,  is  the  vernacular  of  the 
country.  To  take  two  familiar  instances.  In  the 
Russian  liturgy  the  language  is  not  modern  Russian 
but  Slavonic  of  the  time  of  St.  Cyril  and  St.  Methodius 
in  the  ninth  century.  Mass  in  Coptic  is  less  understood 
than  Mass  in  Latin  ;  not  only  has  Coptic  no  affinity 
with  the  Arabic  spoken  by  the  people,  but  many  of 
the  Coptic  priests  can  hardly  read  the  Coptic  Missal. 
Here  is  the  case  of  a  language  unintelligible  not  only 
to  the  people  but  even  to  the  priests,  still  kept  in  the 
liturgy  with  the  sanction  of  authority.  It  can  hardly 
be  asserted  that  the  Church  favours  the  vernacular  in 
her  liturgy. 

Lastly :  if  the  Church's  liturgy  is  to  be  said  in  the 
vernacular,  where  shall  we  end  ?  The  people  may  then 
fairly  claim  Mass  in  their  local  dialects  which  may  be 
described  as  their  vernacular.  We  must  have  at  least 
two  liturgies  in  Italy  and  France.  For  the  Piedmontese 
peasant  cannot  understand  the  language  of  an  educated 
Italian,  and  the  rustics  in  the  South  of  France  cannot 


34  THE  LANGUAGE  OF  THE  MASS. 

follow  the  polished  French  of  Paris.  High  German 
and  Low  German  are  widely  apart,  Belgium  will  ask 
for  Mass  in  French  and  in  Flemish,  Ireland  will  insist 
on  Mass  in  English  and  Irish.  No  thoughtful  man  can 
suppose  that  a  multiplication  of  liturgies  can  do  else 
than  diminish  the  reverence  of  the  faithful  for  the 
adorable  Sacrifice  of  the  Altar. 


QUESTIONS  ON  CHAPTER  VI. 

1.  What  is  meant  by  the  word  liturgy,  and  by  liturgical 
and  extra-liturgical  service  ? 

2.  Can  the  Pope  allow  Mass  to  be  said  in  the  vernacular  ? 
What  does  the  Council  of  Trent  say  as  regards  the  use  of 
Latin  in  Mass  ? 

3.  How  did  Latin  become  the  language  of  the  Western 
Church  ? 

4.  Give  some  reasons  for  having  Church  services  in  Latin. 

5.  What  is  the  meaning  of  the  maxim — "  the  law  of  prayer 
is  the  law  of  belief"?      What   doctrines    are    taught   and 
enforced  in  the  Mass  prayers  ? 

6.  What  answer  did  the  Holy  See  give  to  the  petition  of 
the  Jesuit  missionaries  for  Mass  in  Chinese  ? 


CHAPTER   the   SEVENTH. 


THE   ROMAN   MASS   IN  THE   EIGHTH 
CENTURY. 

THE  first  Mass  was  said  by  Jesus  Christ  in  person  on 
Maundy  Thursday  night.  At  that  august  Sacrifice 
the  Apostles  assisted.  So  far  as  is  known  from  the 
Scripture  record  that  Mass  consisted  solely  in  the 
conversion  of  bread  and  wine  into  the  Body  and  Blood 
of  Christ.  Our  Divine  Master  would  seem  to  have 
prefaced  the  words  of  consecration  with  a  prayer 
of  thanksgiving  briefly  indicated  in  the  participle 
€vxapLOT^a-a<s  "having  given  thanks,"  used  in  the 
narrative  of  St.  Luke  (xxii.  19)  andofSt.Panl  (i  Cor.xi.2^). 
At  any  rate  we  are  not  justified  in  saying  that  no  such 
prayer  was  uttered  because  it  has  not  been  more 
explicitly  recorded  in  the  inspired  page.  It  has  been 
held  by  some  that  in  the  earliest  ages  of  the  Church 
there  was  no  definite  liturgy  beyond  the  words  of 
institution  and  the  Lord's  Prayer.  They  alone  were 
used  according  to  this  theory,  whenever  persecution  or 
other  circumstances  made  it  necessary  to  shorten  the 
Mass  as  much  as  possible.  Although  the  opinion 
referred  to  hardly  rests  on  solid  foundation,  it  is  correct 
to  say  that  Mass  consists  essentially  in  the  Consecration 
alone.  A  priest  who  should  pronounce  the  words  of 
Consecration  over  bread  and  wine  without  any  prayer 


36       THE  ROMAN  MASS  IN  THE  EIGHTH  CENTURY. 

before  or  after  would  celebrate  Mass  validly,  though  he 
would  of  course  sin  grievously  by  transgressing,  in  a 
grave  matter,  the  existing  laws  of  the  Church. 

The  Apostles  would  naturally  have  watched  with 
deepest  awe  our  Lord's  words  and  acts  at  the  Last 
Supper,  and  talked  them  over  afterwards.  Did  they 
learn  from  their  Master's  lips  how  the  Sacred  Mysteries 
were  to  be  celebrated  ?  Did  He  indicate  in  general 
lines  how  the  great  action  was  to  be  performed  ?  For 
there  was  abundant  opportunity  during  the  forty  days 
after  the  Resurrection  for  our  Lord  to  teach  His 
Apostles  those  rites  and  prayers  that  were  to  accom- 
pany and  adorn  the  greatest  of  all  His  works.  The 
only  answer  that  we  can  give  to  the  above  queries  is, 
that  we  do  not  know.  He  "gave  thanks"  perhaps  at 
some  length.  It  is,  we  believe,  generally  admitted  that 
the  Apostles  did  not  commit  to  writing  any  definite 
form  for  celebrating  Holy  Mass ;  in  other  words,  the 
Apostles  did  not  establish  or  leave  behind  a  written 
liturgy. 

There  are,  however,  .certain  portions  of  the  sacri- 
ficial action  common  to  all  liturgies,  practically 
unchangeable,  and  such  portions  are  traced  by  the 
tradition  of  the  Church  to  Apostolic  sources.  Such 
portions,  common  to  all  forms  of  Eucharistic  celebra- 
tion in  the  East  and  West,  are  certain  preparatory 
prayers,  readings  from  Holy  Scripture  in  the  shape  of 
Epistle  or  Gospel  with  a  Psalm  or  Psalms  thrown  in 
between,  the  offering  of  bread  and  wine  mixed  with 
water,  the  Preface,  as  it  is  now  called,  the  intercession 
for  the  living  and  the  dead,  the  fraction  or  breaking  of 
the  host,  and  the  thanksgiving  after  Communion.  The 
general  character  of  the  Holy  Sacrifice  ever  remained 
the  same,  though  in  details  it  has  considerably 


THE  ROMAN  MASS   IN  THE  EIGHTH  CENTURY.       37 

developed.  Our  Lord  gave  great  liberty  to  His  Church. 
In  accordance  with  His  wish  she  adapts  herself  to  times 
and  peoples.  The  Apostles  and  their  successors  were 
found  in  many  lands ;  and  Mass  would  have  been 
celebrated  everywhere.  The  rite  was  not  fixed.  It 
probably  depended  after  Apostolic  times  on  the  Bishops 
who  had  in  those  early  days  much  fuller  local  authority 
in  liturgical  matters  than  at  present.  It  was  in  their 
power  to  introduce  or  omit,  or  change  prayers  during 
the  great  act  of  Worship.  The  Sovereign  Pontiff 
could  always  change  or  improve,  with  the  exception  of 
course  of  the  form  of  Consecration,  any  portion  of  the 
sacrificial  rite.  Thus  there  sprang  up  in  different  times 
and  places  varying  forms  of  Eucharistic  Celebrations 
which  bear  the  names  of  Liturgies.  Not  until  1570 


could  Pius  V.,  helped  by  the  introduction  of  printing," 
inTmd7icT"irnTfbrmTty  into  the  liturgy  of  the  Western 
Church.  In  the  Bull  of  July  14,  1570  (Quo  primum 
tempore),  that  Pontiff,  while  forbidding  any  addition, 
omission,  or  change  (nihil  unquam  addendum,  detmhendum 
ant  omittendum],  in  the  Roman  Missal  which  he  imposed 
on  the  Catholic  world  made,  nevertheless,  an  exception 
in  favour  of  those  Missals  which  had  been  in  use  for 
more  than  two  hundred  years.  To  this  day,  with  the 
sanction  of  Rome,  the  Carmelites,  Carthusians,  and 
Dominicans  retain  their  ancient  rite ;  the  Mozarabic 
liturgy  is  still  used  in  Toledo,  the  Ambrosian  in  Milan. 
The  extant  liturgies  are  divided  into  two  groups ; 
those  of  the  East  and  of  the  West.  The  distinction  is 
not  merely  geographical  but  answers  to  certain  marked 
characteristics  of  which  the  chief  is  that  the  Western 
liturgies  vary  from  day  to  day  with  the  feast  and  the 
season,  while  in  the  East  only  the  Scriptural  lessons 
and  the  choral  portion  of  the  Mass  vary  from  day  to 


38      THE  ROMAN  MASS  IN  THE  EIGHTH  CENTURY. 

day.  The  chief  liturgies  in  the  Western  Church  are 
the  Mozarabic,  the  ancient  Gallican,  the  Ambrosian, 
and  the  Roman. 

The  earliest  documents  giving  the  form  of  the 
Roman  Mass  in  the  centuries  that  followed  the  triumph 
of  the  Church  under  Constantine  (325)  are  the  three 
Sacramentaries,  as  they  are  called,  which  pass  under 
the  names  of  Pope  Leo  I.  (440 — 461),  Gelasius  I.  (492 
— 496),  and  St.  Gregory  the  Great  (590 — 604).  The  full 
text  is  found  in  Migne.  Here  is  a  brief  account  of 
them.  Each  bears  the  title  liber  Sacramentorum,  the  book 
of  Sacraments — that  is,  of  the  Divine  Mysteries  of  the 
holy  Roman  Church.  The  term  Sacrament  is  here 
used,  not  in  the  technical  sense  which  it  acquired  in  the 
twelfth  century  of  an  outward  sign  of  inward  grace,  but 
for  the  "  mystery  of  faith  "  by  excellence,  the  Sacrifice 
and  Sacrament  of  the  Holy  Eucharist.  A  Sacramentary 
is  not  a  Missal  in  our  modern  sense,  but  a  Mass  book 
for  the  use  of  the  celebrant  in  a  Pontifical  or  High  Mass. 
It  contains  only  those  portions  of  the  Mass  which 
belong  to  the  celebrant  as  such,  viz.,  Collects,  Secrets, 
Prefaces,  Postcommunions,  and  prayers  over  the  people 
(orationes  super  populum).  The  Canon  is  found  in  the 
Gelasian  and  Gregorian  Sacramentaries,  not  in  the 
Leonine.  The  Epistles  and  Gospels  and  all  the  sung 
portions  of  the  Mass — Introit,  Gradual,  Offertory, 
Communion,  were  to  be  found  in  separate  liturgical 
books — the  Evangeliary,  the  Lectionary,  the  Gradual. 

A  word  about  each  Sacramentary.  The  Leonine  is 
mutilated.  It  begins  with  April  and  closes  with  the 
feast  of  Holy  Innocents.  (Migne,  P.L.lv.  p.  22.)  It  has  a 
collection  of  prayers  used  at  Mass,  one  or  two  Collects 
for  the  day,  a  prayer  of  oblation,  a  Preface  Veve  dignum 
which  constantly  changes,  a  Secret  and  a  thanksgiving 


THE  ROMAN  MASS  IN  THE  EIGHTH  CENTURY.       39 

after  Communion.  These  prayers  as  a  rule  do  not 
bear  the  titles  which  are  found  in  our  Missal.  We  do 
find  preces  for  the  Collects,  super  oblata  (prayer  over  the 
offerings),  our  modern  Secret  (pp.  106,  no)  and  in  the 
same  pages  post  communio  and  super  populum.  Three 
distinct  Prefaces  are  given  for  the  feast  of  the  Ascension 
(p.  37).  At  p.  114  there  are  prayers  for  Mass  at  a 
Bishop's  consecration  with  the  hanc  igitur  oblationem 
before  the  words  of  institution,  and  on  p.  134  the  reader 
will  see  the  Collect  and  Secret  for  a  Requiem  Mass ; 
also  a  hanc  igitur  oblationem  with  its  petition  that  the 
suffering  soul  may  pass  from  death  to  life. 

The  Gelasian  Sacramentary  (Migne,  P.L .  Ixxiv.  p.  1055) 
consists  of  three  books.  The  reader  is  at  once  struck 
by  finding  the  prayers  at  Mass  with  the  titles  they 
bear  in  the  Missal  to-day ;  oratio  before  the  Collect, 
secreta  for  the  Secret,  the  Vere  dignum  introducing  the 
Preface.  Infra  actionem  is  the  title  for  the  Communicantes. 
We  have  the  prayer  post  communionem  and  the  blessing 
super  populum.  The  Eucharistic  prayer  the  Vere  dignum 
varies  almost  for  every  feast.  A  few  of  the  Collects  in 
the  Gelasian  Sacramentary  find  their  place  still  in  the 
Roman  Missal.  Thus  the  Collect  said  at  midnight 
Mass  on  Christmas  Eve  (p.  1057)  is  now  assigned  for 
the  third  Mass  on  Christmas  Day ;  Collects  for  the 
second  and  fourth  Sunday  after  Easter  (pp.  1120,  1122) 
are  still  read  by  us  on  these  same  Sundays. 

The  second  book  gives  the  Collects,  Secrets,  and 
Postcbmmunions  for  Mass  on  saints'  days.  The 
Catholic  reader  will  rejoice  at  the  Mass  prayers  for  our 
Lady's  feasts  of  the  Purification  and  Assumption.  The 
third  book  contains  Collects,  Secrets,  and  Postcom- 
munions  for  sixteen  Sundays  after  Pentecost,  together 
with  the  Canon.  The  Canon  is  given  in  full  from  the 


40      THE  ROMAN  MASS  IN  THE  EIGHTH  CENTURY. 

Sursum  corda  to  the  Pater  noster.  It  includes  our 
modern  Preface,  and  has  the  title  hie  incipit  canon 
actionis  (here  the  Canon  begins)  immediately  before  the 
Sursum  corda.  The  Gelasian  Canon  with  one  or  two 
additions  to  the  list  of  Saints  in  the  prayer  Communicantes 
(Migne,  P.  L.  Ixxiv.  p.  1196)  is  identical  with  the  form 
now  used  at  the  Holy  Sacrifice. 

The  third  book  ends  with  prayers  for  various 
classes  of  life,  with  different  blessings  in  and  out  of 
Mass,  and  with  prayers  for  the  dead  during  Mass  and 
at  the  funeral  service.  The  nuptial  blessing  is  in  sub- 
stance the  same  as  conferred  to-day,  though  the  words 
which  convey  it  are  very  different  (pp.  1213,  1214). 

The  Gregorian  Sacramentary,  although  very  far 
removed  indeed  from  our  modern  Missal,  at  least  gives 
the  order  of  the  Mass  from  the  Introit  to  the  Agnus  Dei. 
(Migne,  P.  L.  Ixxviii.  p.  24.)  We  have  mention  of  the 
Introit,  the  Gloria  is  to  be  said  on  Sundays  if  a  Bishop 
be  celebrant;  if  a  priest,  only  on  Easter  day.  When 
the  Litany  is  said  neither  Gloria  nor  Alleluia  is  sung. 
Next  follows  the  Collect  of  the  day  (oratio) ;  the  Epistle 
called  Apostolus  because  taken  from  Apostolic  writings, 
that  is,  Acts,  Epistles,  or  Apocalypse ;  the  Gospel, 
Offertory,  Secret  which  has  its  original  name  of  prayer 
over  the  offerings  (oratio  super  oblata).  There  seems  in 
the  Gregorian  Sacramentary  no  indication,  that  I  can 
discover,  of  prayers  other  than  the  Seer  eta  between 
Gospel  and  Preface.  The  Eucharistic  prayer,  begin- 
ning as  now  with  the  closing  words  of  the  Secret,  per 
omnia  sacula  saculorum,  is  exactly  the  same  as  said  to-day 
and  ends  with  the  Pater  noster.  The  Memento  for  the 
dead  has  the  title  super  diptycha  (see  p.  28).  There  is  no 
mention  of  the  Communion  or  of  the  kiss  of  peace.  The 
Agnus  Dei  is  said  once.  In  the  body  of  the  Sacramen- 


THE  ROMAN  MASS  IN  THE  EIGHTH  CENTURY.       41 

tary  the  oratio  ad  complendum  (the  prayer  at  the  end)  is 
our  Postcommunion. 

Some  votive  Masses  are  found  at  p.  236  ;  and  in  the 
Mass  for  Peace  we  have  the  Collect  which  is  said 
to-day.  Scattered  through  the  Sacramentaries  are 
Benedictions,  Exorcisms,  forms  of  Ordination  and 
Investiture.  (See  the  Article  on  "  Liturgy  "  in  Smith  and 
Cheetham's  Dictionary  of  Christian  Antiquities,  vol.  ii. 
pp.  1032—1034.) 

It  would,  then,  be  impossible  to  reconstruct  from 
the  Sacramentaries  alone  the  whole  of  the  Roman 
Liturgy  as  it  existed,  for  instance,  in  the  sixth  century. 
Fortunately,  however,  we  possess  a  document,  dating 
from  the  eighth  century,  which  contains  a  full  and 
interesting  account  of  the  Stational  Mass  (as  it  was 
called)  as  celebrated  by  the  Pope  at  that  date.  To  this 
we  may  now  turn  our  attention.  The  document  in 
question  is  the  first  of  a  series  of  Ordines  Romani, 
brought  to  light  by  Mabillon  and  published  by  him  as 
an  Appendix  to  the  works  of  St.  Gregory  the  Great. 
Of  these  Ordines  it  may  be  sufficient  to  say  that, 
roughly  speaking,  they  correspond  to  the  rubrical 
portions  of  the  Cavemoniale  Episcoporum.  The  first  of 
them,  that  is  to  say,  the  earliest  in  date,  has  recently 
been  published  with  an  English  translation  and  notes, 
full  of  valuable  information,  by  Mr.  E.  G.  Cuthbert 
F.  Atchley,  to  whose  volume  we  are  largely  indebted 
for  what  follows  in  this  chapter.  For  the  convenience 
of  the  reader  some  explanation  is  offered  of  different 
portions  of  the  Mass,  which  finds  a  more  suitable  place 
here  than  in  subsequent  chapters. 

What  is  the  Ordo  Romanus  Primus?  It  is  thus 
described  in  the  book  referred  to  (Introduction,  p.  3) 
"as  a  directory  of  the  ceremonies  of  solemn  or  public 


42       THE  ROMAN  MASS  IN  THE  EIGHTH  CENTURY. 

Mass  celebrated  in  Rome  by  the  Pope  himself  or  by 
his  deputy,  in  which  all  the  clergy  and  people  of  the 
Church  of  Rome  were  present,  or  at  least  represented." 
This  Mass  was  in  a  certain  sense  a  Court  function, 
invested  with  all  possible  solemnity.  It  may  be  asked 
how  about  the  rubrics  for  Mass  said  in  private  by 
Bishops  and  by  the  Pope  himself?  It  is  well  to 
remember  that  priests  in  the  early  ages  celebrated 
Mass  far  less  frequently  tnan  now.  'Justin  Martyr, 
in  the  second  century  (Apol.  I.  67)  speaks  of  the  Eucharist 
as  being  celebrated  only  on  Sunday.  St.  Augustine 
(353 — 430)  informs  us  (Epist.  54,  ad  Jamiar.}  that  in 
some  places  there  was  Mass  daily ;  in  others,  only  on 
Sundays ;  in  others,  on  Saturdays  and  Sundays.  In 
early  times  the  Bishop  and  priests  celebrated  together. 
This  custom  seems  to  have  continued  in  Rome  long 
after  it  had  ceased  elsewhere,  and  to  have  lasted  till 
the  time  of  Innocent  III.  (1198 — 1216).  The  custom  still 
survives  in  the  Ordination  Service  for  a  Bishop  and 
priest.  Duchesne  assures  us  (Christian  Worship — its 
Origin  and  Evolution)  that  priests  in  their  titular  or  parish 
churches  celebrated  in  a  form  fundamentally  the  same 
as  the  Pontiff's  Station  Mass.  The  history,  then,  of 
the  Pontiff's  Station  Mass  includes  the  history  of  the 
private  celebration  of  the  Holy  Mysteries. 

The  Service,  as  described  in  Ordo  I.,  is  briefly  this. 
The  Pope,  arriving  in  solemn  procession  at  the. 
Stational  Church,  dismounts  from  his  horse,  and  on 
entering  the  church,  goes  with  his  deacons  not  to  the 
altar,  but  to  the  sacristy  to  vest.  The  vesting  over,  a 
signal  is  given  to  the  choir,  already  ranged  before  the 
altar,  to  begin  the  Introit.  This  is  the  signal  for  the 
Pope  to  leave  the  sacristy,  preceded  by  his  subdeacon 
swinging  the  censer,  and  the  seven  acolytes  carrying 


THE  ROMAN  MASS  IN  THE  EIGHTH  CENTURY.      43 

seven  lighted  candlesticks.  On  his  way  to  the  altar  the 
acolytes  present  the  Pope  with  open  pyxes  that  he  may 
adore  the  Holy  Eucharist.  In  this  act  we  may  probably 
trace  the  germ  of  the  visit  to  the  altar  of  the  Blessed 
Sacrament,  so  carefully  provided  for  in  our  present 
pontifical  ceremonial.  (Lent  and  Holy  Week,  by  Herbert 
Thurston,  S.J.,p.  332.)  The  Pope  enters  the  sanctuary, 
prostrates  himself  before  the  altar,  rises,  and  gives  the 
kiss  of  peace  to  one  of  the  Bishops  and  to  the  deacons, 
and  signals  the  conductor  of  the  choir  to  stop  singing 
the  Introit.  The  choir  next  sings  the  Kyrie.  In  Mass 
to-day  the  Kyrie  and  Christe  eleison  are  said  a  fixed 
number  of  times ;  in  the  Stational  Mass  in  the  eighth 
century,  which  we  are  at  this  moment  considering, 
the  number  of  times  was  determined  by  the  Pope. 
What  is  the  origin  of  the  Kyrie  ?  Mr.  Atchley,  in  the 
work  referred  to  above  (p.  70),  quotes  Mr.  Bishop  as 
holding  "that  the  Kyrie  eleison  was  a  pre-Christian 
religious  invocation.  It  found  its  way  into  public 
Christian  services  soon  after  the  triumph  of  the  Church, 
that  is,  in  the  course  of  the  fourth  century."  However 
this  may  be,  we  find  that  the  Kyrie  eleison  was  ordered 
to  be  said  in  Rome  during  Matins,  Mass,  and  Vespers 
by  the  third  canon  of  the  Council  of  Vaison  in  529 
(Ordo  Romaints  Primus,  p.  67).  St.  Gregory  the  Great,  in  a 
letter  to  John,  Bishop  of  Syracuse,  assigned  to  the  year 
598,  testifies  to  the  Kyrie  being  said  during  Mass  in 
Rome  at  that  time,  though  he  does  not  say  how  long 
the  practice  had  been  in  vogue.  The  Kyrie  may  be 
considered  as  a  remnant  of  the  Litany  form  of  prayer. 
It  appears  to  have  formed  at  Rome  in  early  days  the 
initial  portion  of  the  liturgy.  It  was  customary  in 
the  eighth  century,  at  least  on  those  occasions  when 
the  Litany  was  sung  in  the  procession  to  the  Church 


44       THE  ROMAN  MASS  IN  THE  EIGHTH  CENTURY. 

of  the  Stations,  for  Mass  to  begin  with  the  Pax  vobis  and 
the  Collect.  The  Kyrie  now  said  at  Mass  on  Holy 
Saturday  is  the  conclusion  of  the  Litany  with  which 
that  Mass  began. 

After  this  short  digression  on  the  origin  of  the  Kyrie 
let  us  watch  the  Papal  Mass  as  described  in  Ordo  I. 
The  Kyrie  over,  the  Pope  turned  again  to  the  people  to 
intone  the  Gloria  in  excelsis.  When  the  choir  had  chanted 
that  hymn,  the  Pope  turned  to  the  congregation, 
saying,  Peace  be  to  you,  and  after  the  customary  invi- 
tation, Let  us  pray,  said  the  Collect.  Next  followed 
the  Scripture  lesson.  As  a  rule,  the  Roman  Missal  gives 
two  Scripture  lessons,  the  Epistle  and  Gospel.  But  on 
Ember  Wednesdays  two  lessons  are  read  before  the 
Gospel,  and  six  on  Ember  Saturdays,  five  from  the  Old 
Testament,  and  one  from  the  New.  In  earlier  times 
these  lessons  were  first  read  in  Latin,  then  in  Greek — 
hence  the  name  Sabbata  duodecim  lectionwn — (Saturdays 
with  twelve  lessons.  Gihr,  Holy  Sacrifice  of  the  Mass, 
p.  437.)  According  to  the  Ordo  I.,  whence  this 
summary  is  taken,  the  Epistle  is  read  from  the  A-mbo 
(which  corresponds  to  our  pulpit)  by  the  Subdeacon. 
After  the  Subdeacon  has  read  the  Epistle  a  cantor 
chants  the  responsory  psalm  from  a  step  of  the  Ambo. 
Then  another  cantor  sings  the  alleluia  and  verse,  or 
tract  according  to  the  season.  These  psalms  chanted 
between  the  Epistle  and  Gospel,  which  still  survive  in 
the  Gradual  and  Tract,  take  us  back  in  direct  line 
to  the  religious  services  of  the  Jewish  synagogue. 
"  In  the  Christian  liturgy,"  says  Duchesne,  "  the  psalms 
constitute  the  most  ancient  and  solemn  representation 
of  the  Davidic  Psalter.  We  must  take  care  not  to  put 
them  on  the  same  footing  as  the  other  chants,  the 
Introit,  Offertory,  and  Communion,  which  were  intro- 
duced later,  and  then  merely  to  occupy  attention 


THE  ROMAN  MASS  IN  THE  EIGHTH  CENTURY.       45 

during  long  services."  (Christian  Worship,  pp.  168,  169.) 
Next  follows  the  singing  of  the  Gospel  by  the  Deacon, 
At  its  close  the  Pope  said,  Peace  be  to  you,  followed 
by  The  Lord  be  with  you,  to  which  the  answer  is 
given — And  with  thy  spirit.  Then,  as  now,  Oremus  is 
said  (the  invitation  to  pray)  before  the  antiphon  called 
the  Offertory.  Evidently  after  Oremus  there  is  a  gap  ; 
something  is  missing ;  else  the  invitation  has  no 
meaning.  Various  ways  have  been  suggested  of 
explaining  the  invitation.  One  writer  of  note  thinks 
(Gihr,  p.  497)  that  Oremus  relates  not  merely  to  the 
Offertory  chant,  but  also  to  the  whole  series  of  prayers 
that  are  said  during  the  Offertory.  Mgr.  Duchesne 
offers  a  suggestion  that  is  much  more  satisfactory.  He 
"  is  inclined  to  believe  "  that  the  prayers  of  the  faithful 
still  preserved  in  the  series  of  solemn  prayers  on  Good 
Friday  in  the  Mass  of  the  Presanctified  once  followed 
the  Oremus  of  the  celebrant  before  the  Offertory.  These 
prayers,  according  to  Duchesne,  in  all  other  liturgies 
occur  at  this  place.  They  are  not  connected  with  our 
Lord's  sufferings,  and  therefore  do  not  bear  on  the 
Office  of  the  day.  They  comprise  the  ordinary  needs 
of  the  Church,  and  are  said  for  the  Pope  and  Bishop,  for 
catechumens  and  heretics  and  pagans  and  Jews.  "  I  am 
of  opinion,"  says  Duchesne,  "that  these  prayers  once 
formed  part  of  the  ordinary  Roman  Mass,  and  that 
they  were  said  after  the  lection  ;  that  is,  at  the  place  in 
which  they  long  continued  to  be  recited  on  Wednesday 
and  Friday  in  Holy  Week."  l  It  is  at  least  a  plausible 
conjecture  that  the  request  for  prayers  made  at  our 
Sunday  Mass  after  the  Gospel:  "Your  prayers  are 
requested  for  the  following  sick,  dead,  &c.,"  are  a  relic 
of  the  prayers  of  the  faithful  heard  now  only  on  Good 
Friday. 

1  Duchesne,  Christian  Worship,  p.  172. 


46       THE  ROMAN  MASS  IN  THE  EIGHTH  CENTURY. 

We  have  now  arrived  at  the  Offertory  itself,  which 
derived  its  name  from  the  offerings  of  bread  and 
wine  made  not  merely  by  the  faithful,  but  by  Bishops, 
priests,  clerics,  and  even  by  the  Pope. 

The  Pope  and  his  attendants  receive  the  offerings, 
loaves  of  bread  and  flasks  of  wine,  first  From  the  faithful 
and  then  from  the  clergy.  As  soon  as  the  loaves  and 
wine  needed  for  the  sacrifice  have  been  arranged  on 
the  altar,  the  Pope  says  the  Secret  prayers,  until  he 
chants  the  words  per  omnia  s&cula  s&culorum,  with  which 
we  are  so  familiar  to-day  at  the  beginning  of  the 
Preface.  What  is  now  called  the  Preface  originally 
formed  a  part  of  the  Canon  of  the  Mass.  In  the 
Gelasian  Sacramentary,  as  we  have  seen,  the  words 
hie  incipit- canon  actionis  (here  begins  the  Canon,  the 
fixed  portion  of  the  great  Sacrificial  action)  are  inserted 
before  the  Preface.  The  Preface  represents  the  com- 
mencement of  the  great  Eucharistic  prayer,  which 
continues  unbroken  from  Vere  dignum  et  justuin  est  to 
the  end  of  our  Canon,  and  includes  the  words  of  Con- 
secration. The  insertion  of  the  Sanctus  changed  the 
character  of  the  prayer  to  that  of  a  Preface.  The 
Canon  as  marked  in  our  Missal  to-day  with  its  various 
divisions,  the  Te  igitur,  the  Memento  for  the  living,  the 
title  "  within  the  action,"  the  solemn  ceremonies  of  the 
Elevation  with  the  accompanying  bell  and  the  Memento 
for  the  dead,  was  from  the  beginning  of  the  Preface  to 
the  per  omnia  sacula  saculorum,  one  long  thanksgiving 
prayer,  essentially  the  Eucharistic  prayer.  It  included 
the  words  of  Consecration  said  without  genuflection  or 
bell,  while  Bishops  and  priests  in  the  sanctuary  merely 
bowed  without  kneeling.  The  history  of  this  Euchar- 
istic prayer  is  treated  in  an  article  in  The  Month 
("Fresh  light  on  the  early  history  of  the  Mass,"  by 
Rev.  H.  Lucas,  February,  1904)  to  which  we  may  refer 


THE  ROMAN  MASS  IN  THE  EIGHTH  CENTURY.      47 

the  reader.  Further  mention  of  it  exceeds  the  scope 
of  the  present  chapter. 

The  rite  of  dropping  the  Sancta  into  the  Precious 
Blood  next  claims  our  attention.  A  portion  of  the 
Host  consecrated  at  a  previous  Mass  and  reserved  for 
the  Pope's  Mass  was  called  the  Sancta.  We  are  all 
familiar  with  the  rite  by  which  at  the  words  the 
peace  of  the  Lord  be  with  you  always,  the  celebrant 
drops  a  particle  from  the  consecrated  host  into  the 
chalice.  In  the  Stational  Mass  of  the  eighth  century, 
which  we  have  been  describing  in  this  chapter,  it  was 
usual  to  unite  in  the  chalice  twice  during  the  celebration 
of  Mass,  the  species  of  bread  with  the  species  of  wine, 
first  after  the  Pater  and  again  at  the  Communion  of  the 
celebrant.  The  Pope,  at  the  words,  the  peace  of  the 
Lord  be  with  you  always,  while  making  a  sign  of  the 
Cross  thrice  over  the  chalice,  as  is  done  now,  dropped 
the  Sancta  into  the  chalice  which  contains  the  Precious 
Blood.  This  action  signifies  the  unity  of  the  great 
Sacrifice.  One  and  the  same  Body  by  the  force  of  the 
words  of  Consecration  is  offered  at  every  Mass,  and 
received  at  every  Mass  by  the  communicants  in  all 
ages.  Thus  generations  past  and  present  assist  at 
the  same  Sacrifice,  and  partake  of  the  same  food. 
Next  comes  the  kiss  of  peace,  which  is  given  imme- 
diately after  the  salutation,  Pax  Domini  sit  semper 
vobiscum.  The  Communion  followed. 

The  Communion  rite  was  long  and  complicated. 
Briefly,  it  is  this.  The  Pope  received  the  consecrated 
bread  from  the  second  deacon.  After  communicating, 
the  Pope  put  a  particle  which  he  had  bitten  off  the 
consecrated  bread  into  the  chalice  held  by  the  Arch- 
deacon (qui  dum  communicaverit,  de  ipsa  sancta  quam 
tnomorderit,  ponit  inter  manus  Avchidiaconi  in  Calicem), 
making  a  sign  of  the  Cross  thrice,  saying  the  words 


48       THE   ROMAN  MASS  IN   THE  EIGHTH  CENTURY. 

used  by  the  priest  to-day,  may  the  mingling  and 
consecration  of  the  Body  and  Blood  of  our  Lord 
Jesus  Christ  be  to  us  that  receive  it  effectual  to 
eternal  life.  Then  the  Pontiff  received  the  chalice 
from  the  Archdeacon.  The  Bishops  and  priests  com- 
municated under  the  form  of  bread  at  the  Pope's  hands, 
and  took  the  chalice  from  the  he,bdomadary  Bishop.1 

Next  follows  the  Communion  of  the  people  while 
the  choir  chants  the  Communion  Anthem.  The  chant 
is  continued  until  the  people  have  all  received  Com- 
munion. The  Pope  then  makes  a  sign  to  the  choir  to 
sing  the  Gloria  Patvi  at  the  end  of  the  Psalm.  The 
Bishops  communicate  the  people  under  the  species  of 
bread.  The  higher  clergy  drink  the  Precious  Blood 
from  a  chalice,  but  the  people  through  a  tube  (pugillaris). 

At  the  end  of  the  Communion  Psalm,  the  Pope  says 
the  Postcommunion  looking  towards  the  east.  He  then 
says  Dominus  vobiscum,  but  does  not  turn  to  the  people. 
Next  comes  the  dismissal.  One  of  the  deacons  says,  Go, 
Mass  is  over,  and  the  people  answer,  Deo  Gratias.  The 
Pope  on  his  way  to  the  Sacristy  gives  his  blessing  to 
Bishops,  priests,  monks,  and  servers  who  ask  it  of  him. 

The  Ordo  I.  gives  a  supplement,  in  which  are 
mentioned  the  few  changes  in  the  rubrics,  when  the 
Stational  Mass  is  celebrated  by  a  Bishop  other  than  the 
Pope.  But  it  is  interesting  to  notice  that  for  Bishops 
who  rule  over  cities  (diocesan  Bishops,  as  we  say)  the 
rubrics  at  the  Stational  Mass  are  exactly  the  same  as 
for  the  Sovereign  Pontiff. 

The  length  of  the  Service  thus  briefly  described 
varied  with  the  number  of  offerers  and  communicants, 
and  depended  not  a  little  on  the  sermon  which  always 

1  Pope  Stephen  III.  (768 — 772)  ordained  that  seven  Cardinal 
Bishops  should  have  the  privilege  of  saying  Mass  at  St.  Peter's  Altar 
in  the  Late  ran.  Each  Bishop  took  a  week  at  a  time;  hence  called 
hebdomadary.  (See  Ordo  /.  p.  33  ) 


THE  ROMAN  MASS  IN  THE  EIGHTH  CENTURY.       49 


followed  the  Gospel.  The  Stational  Mass  was  a 
magnificent  function,  surrounded  with  all  the  pomp  and 
ceremony  which  reminds  us  of  the  grand  Papal  Mass 
said  at  the  present  day  over  the  Confession  of  St.  Peter 
at  the  feasts  of  Christmas,  Easter,  and  SS.  Peter  and 
Paul.  We  may  be  certain  that  the  Stational  Mass  was 
very  long.  Nor  are  we  surprised  at  St.  Gregory's 
complaint  that,  because  of  the  gout,  he  had  scarcely 
strength  to  celebrate  a  Solemn  Mass  which  lasted  three 
hours.  (Ordo  I.  p.  63.) 

QUESTIONS  ON  CHAPTER  VII. 

1.  What   do   we    know   of    the    first  Mass   on   Maundy 
Thursday  night  ? 

2.  What  portions  of  the  Mass  are  found  in  all  liturgies  ? 

3.  When   was   uniformity  introduced  into  the    Missal  of 
the  Western  Church  ?    What  did  Pius  V.  ordain  and  forbid  ? 
Give  the  chief  liturgies  in  the  West. 

4.  What  is  meant  by  a  Sacramentary  ?     How  does  it  differ 
from  our  modern  Missal  ? 

5.  Give  some    account   of   the    Leonine,  Gelasian,   and 
Gregorian  Sacramentaries. 

6.  In  these  Sacramentaries  what  titles  are  applied  to  the 
Introit,  as  we  have  it,  to  Collect,  Epistle,  Secret,  to  the   Vere 
dignum  or  Preface,  and  to  the  Postcommunion  ? 

7.  What  is  the  Ordo  Romanus  Primus  ? 

8.  Were  Masses  as  frequently  said  in  the  early  ages  as  now  ? 

9.  What  is  meant  by  concelebration  ?    Does  it  still  survive 
in  the  Church's  liturgy  ? 

10.  What  is  the  probable  origin  of  the  visit  to  the  Blessed 
Sacrament  before  a  Pontifical  High  Mass  ? 

n.  What  is  the  origin  of  the  Kyrie  ? 

12.  Explain  the  words  Saturdays  of  twelve  lessons. 

13.  What   were  the   prayers   of    the    faithful  on   Good 
Friday  ?     Have  they  left  any  trace  in   Mass  at  the  present 
day  ? 

14.  Describe   the   Eucharistic    prayer,   as   given   in  this 
chapter. 

15.  What  was  meant  by  the  ceremony  of  the  Sancta  ? 

16.  At  a  Stational  Mass,  say  how  the  Pope,  the  assistant 
Bishops,  priests,  and  laity  communicated. 


CHAPTER    the    EIGHTH. 


THE  ORDINARY  OF  THE   MASS 

PART  THE  FIRST. 
From  the  Beginning  to  the  Offertory. 

THE  priest  after  vesting  in  the  sacristy  puts  on  his 
berretta,  makes  a  profound  inclination  to  the  crucifix, 
and  preceded  by  his  server  advances  to  the  altar  with 
covered  head.  The  priest,  as  a  token  of  his  dignity, 
wears  the  berretta  until  he  reaches  the  altar,  when  he 
hands  it  to  the  server ;  he  genuflects  if  the  Blessed 
Sacrament  be  reserved,  otherwise  he  makes  a  profound 
reverence  to  the  cross,  mounts  the  altar-steps,  chalice 
in  hand,  unfolds  the  corporal  from  the  burse,  places  the 
chalice  on  the  corporal,  opens  the  Missal  at  the  Introit 
of  the  day,  returns  to  the  altar,  descends  the  steps, 
genuflects  or  bows  profoundly  again,  and  begins  Mass 
with  the  words,  In  Nomine  Patris,  et  Filii,  et 
Spiritus  Sancti.  Amen,  at  the  same  time  making 
the  sign  of  the  Cross. 

The  words,  In  the  name  of  the  Father,  and  of  the 
Son,  and  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  taken  from  our  Lord's 
own  words  in  the  last  chapter  of  St.  Matthew,  are  an 
accurate  description  of  the  Godhead.  In  the  name 
of  the  Father  means  that  with  the  authority  of  God  the 


THE   ORDINARY  OF  THE  MASS. 


Father,  from  whom  all  power  springs,  and  of  the  Son 
who  became  Man  and  died  for  us  on  Calvary,  and  of  the 
Holy  Ghost  proceeding  from  the  Father  and  the  Son, 
the  Teacher  of  truth  and  the  Sanctifier  of  the  world,  the 
priest  begins  the  great  Sacrifice.  The  sign  of  the  Cross 
reminds  us  by  its  form  of  our  Lord's  Death  on  Calvary. 
The  sign  of  the  Cross  as  made  on  forehead,  breast,  and 
shoulders  is  said  to  be  of  Apostolic  origin.  Some  have 
thought  that  our  Lord  on  Ascension  Day  blessed  His 
disciples,  before  He  was  hidden  by  a  cloud,  with  the 
sign  of  His  Cross.  Tertullian,  writing  at  the  end  of  the 
second  century,  says,  "  At  every  moving  from  place  to 
place,  at  every  coming  in  and  going  out,  in  dressing, 
at  the  baths,  at  table,  on  going  to  rest,  sitting  down, 
we  sign  ourselves  on  the  forehead  with  the  Cross."  The 
sign  of  the  Cross  is  used  in  all  the  Church's  Services, 
in  the  administration  of  the  sacraments,  in  all  her 
blessings  except  in  the  blessing  of  the  Paschal  candle. 

Amen  is  a  Hebrew  word  meaning  "  so  be  it  ;  "  it 
expresses  the  desire  that  our  prayers  be  heard,  and  it 
fortifies  the  good  resolutions  taken. 

The  three  languages  used  in  the  inscription  on  the 
Cross,  "  Jesus  of  Nazareth,  King  of  the  Jews,"  namely, 
Hebrew,  Greek,  and  Latin,  are  found  in  the  Mass. 
Sabaoth,  Cherubim  and  Seraphim,  Hosanna,  and 
Amen,  are  Hebrew  ;  Kyrie  Eleison  is  Greek,  and  the 
Liturgy  of  the  Mass  is  Latin,  at  least  in  the  Roman 
Church. 

The  priest  joining  his  hands  begins  the  antiphon  of 
the  42nd  Psalm. 

Ant.  Introibo  ad  altare  Dei.        Ant.  I  will  go  unto  the  altar 

of  God. 

R.  A  d  Deum  qui  laetificat  ju-         R.  To  God,  who  giveth  joy  to 
ventutem  meant.  my  youth. 


THE  ORDINARY  OF  THE  MASS. 


PSALMUS  42. 

Judica  me  Deus,  et  discerne 
causam  meam  de  gente  non 
sancta :  ab  homine  iniquo,  et 
doloso  erue  me. 

R.  Quia  tu  es  Deus  for  titudo 
mea :  quart  merepulisti,  et  quare 
tristis  incedo,  dum  affligit  me 
inimicus  ? 

Emitte  lucem  tuam,  et  veri- 
tatem  tuam :  ipsa  me  dedux- 
erunt,  et  adduxerunt  in  mon- 
tem  sanctum  tuum,  et  in  tab- 
ernacula  tua. 

R.  Et  introibo  ad  altare  Dei : 
ad  Deum  qui  laetificat  juvent  utem 
meam. 

Confitebor  tibi  in  cithara, 
Deus,  Deus  meus :  quare  tris- 
tis es  anima  mea,  et  quare 
conturbas  me  ? 

R.  Spera  in  Deo,  quoniam  ad- 
huc  confitebor  illi :  salutare  vul- 
tus  mei,  et  Deus  meus. 

Gloria  Patri,  et  Filio,  et 
Spiritui  sancto. 

R.  Sictit  erat  in  principle,  et 
nunc,  et  semper,  et  in  saecula 
saeculorum.  Amen. 

Introibo  ad  altare  Dei. 


PSALM  42. 

Judge  me,  O  God,  and  dis- 
tinguish my  cause  from  the 
nation  that  is  not  holy:  de- 
liver me  from  the  unjust  and 
deceitful  man. 

R.  For  Thou,  O  God,  art  my 
strength :  why  hast  Thou  cast 
me  off  ?  and  why  do  I  go  sorrow- 
ful whilst  the  enemy  afflicteth  me  ? 

Send  forth  Thy  light  and 
Thy  truth :  they  have  con- 
ducted me  and  brought  me 
unto  Thy  holy  mount,  and 
unto  Thy  tabernacles. 

R.  And  I  will  go  unto  the 
altar  of  God :  to  God,  who 
giveth  joy  to  my  youth. 

I  will  praise  Thee  on  the 
harp,  O  God,  my  God :  why 
art  thou  sorrowful,  O  my  soul  ? 
and  why  dost  thou  disquiet 
me  ? 

R.  Hope  in  God,  for  I  will 
still  give  praise  to  Him  :  who  is 
the  salvation  of  my  countenance, 
and  my  God. 

Glory  be  to  the  Father, 
and  to  the  Son,  and  to  the 
Holy  Ghost. 

R.  As  it  was  in  the  beginning, 
is  now,  and  ever  shall  be,  world 
without  end.  Amen. 


I  will  go  unto  the  altar  of 
God. 

R.  Ad  Deum  qui  laetificat  ju-         R.  To  God,  who  giveth  joy  to 
•ventutem  meam.  my  youth. 


EXPLANATION  OF  THE  PSALM  Judica. 

An  antiphon  means  "  alternate  utterance,"  which  is 
exemplified  in  the  alternate  chanting  or  saying  of 
psalms  or  hymns  by  two  choirs.  This  method  of 


FHE   ORDINARY  OF   THE   MASS.  53 

reciting  psalms  is  said  to  have  been  instituted  by 
St.  Ignatius,  one  of  the  Apostolic  Fathers.  In  the 
Latin  Church  it  owed  its  origin  to  St.  Ambrose  of 
Milan,  in  the  fourth  century.  The  word  antiphon  has 
now  a  more  restricted  sense  ;  it  means  a  verse  prefixed 
to  or  following  a  psalm  or  psalms,  as  a  sort  of  key 
perhaps  to  the  intention  of  the  Church  in  using  the 
psalm,  or  as  drawing  attention  to  that  part  of  it  on 
which  she  desires  to  lay  peculiar  stress.  The  minister 
or  server  answers:  To  God,  who  giveth  joy  to  my 
youth. 

The  joy  here  referred  to  in  connection  with  youth 
has  evidently  a  spiritual  meaning.  Whenever  sanctify- 
ing grace  is  first  given  to  the  soul,  a  "new  creature" 
is  created,  causing  the  death  of  the  "  old  man  "  of  sin. 
Now,  one  end  of  the  Sacrifice  is  the  forgiveness 
of  sins ;  when  mortal  sins  are  forgiven  the  soul  is 
renewed  in  its  youth  by  sanctifying  grace,  and  the 
Eucharist  itself  is  the  pledge  of  everlasting  glory. 
There  is  a  singular  propriety  in  reminding  the  priest  of 
this  attribute  of  Almighty  God  as  renovator  of  youth  at 
the  moment  that  the  priest  stands  like  the  Publican 
"afar  off"  from  the  altar  waiting  for  encouragement  to 
carry  his  desire  into  effect.  (See  Oakeley's  Ceremonies  of  the 
Mass,  p.  12.) 

The  priest  and  server  next  recite  in  alternate  verses 
the  psalm  Judica. 

The  42nd  Psalm  was  composed  by  King  David  after 
his  sin  and  the  rebellion  of  his  son  Absalom.  Surrounded 
by  his  enemies,  full  of  sorrow  for  his  past  offences,  King 
David  makes  a  direct  appeal  to  God  from  whom  alone 
strength  can  be  obtained,  and  lays  his  cause  before  his 
Maker. 

This  Psalm,  used  in  the  Old  Dispensation  as  a  pre- 


54  THE   ORDINARY   OF    THE    MASS. 

paration  for  the  altar,  only  since  the  eleventh  century  has 
been  used  by  the  priest  in  the  Mass.  The  priest  applies 
to  his  own  necessities  the  words  of  David  :  Judge 
me,  O  God,  and  distinguish  my  cause  from  the 
nation  that  is  not  holy:  deliver  me  from  the 
unjust  and  deceitful  man. 

The  priest's  confidence  is  in  the  fact  that  God  alone 
is  to  be  His  Judge.  From  men  he  might  have  no  hope. 
Standing  at  the  foot  of  the  altar  he  asks  deliverance 
from  his  spiritual  enemies.  The  server,  whose  duty 
is  always  to  speak  for  the  congregation,  answers  in 
a  tone  of  hope  and  joy  :  For  Thou,  O  God,  art  my 
strength:  why  hast  Thou  cast  me  off?  and  why 
do  I  go  sorrowful  whilst  the  enemy  afflicteth  me  ? 
as  if  to  encourage  the  priest  that  God  will  surety 
succour  him,  and  that  sorrow  need  not  depress  him 
though  surrounded  by  enemies.  The  priest  in  more 
hopeful  accents,  continues :  Send  forth  Thy  light 
and  Thy  truth :  they  have  conducted  me  and 
brought  me  unto  Thy  holy  mount,  to  the  altar,  the 
mystical  Calvary  where  the  Victim  is  slain,  and  unto 
Thy  tabernacles,  which,  as  a  priest,  I  ought  to  serve 
and  guard.  The  server  again  answers  in  the  words 
of  the  antiphon  said  before  the  Psalm  :  And  I  will  go 
unto  the  altar  of  God :  to  God  who  giveth  joy 
to  my  youth.  The  priest  encouraged  more  and 
more  by  these  words,  exclaims :  I  will  praise 
Thee  on  the  harp  (see  Apoc.  ch.  v.,  "having  each 
of  them  harps  in  their  hands,"  and  in  ch.  xv., 
"  and  the  voice  I  heard  was  that  of  harpers  playing 
on  their  harps "),  in  joyous  strains,  O  God,  my 
God,  for  I  belong  to  Thee,  and  I  am  made  not  by 
strange  gods,  but  by  Thee,  the  only  true  and  living 
God;  and  then  in  a  tone  of  sorrowful  surprise,  the 


THE   ORDINARY   OF   THE   MASS.  55 

priest  upbraids  his  own  soul :  Why  art  thou 
sorrowful,  O  my  soul,  and  why  dost  thou  disquiet 
me  ?  The  server  still  continues  :  Hope  in  God,  for 
I  will  still  give  praise  to  Him,  that  is,  confess  all 
He  has  done  for  me  and  praise  Him.  The  salvation 
of  my  countenance,  that  is,  He  is  my  salvation,  for 
He  illumines  my  countenance  by  His  light  and  makes 
my  face  to  behold  His;  and  Thou  art  my  God;  in 
this  thought  there  is  hope. 

Glory  be  to  the  Father,  and  to  the  Son,  and 
to  the  Holy  Ghost.  These  words  are  taken  from 
our  Lord's  words  in  the  last  chapter  of  St.  Matthew, 
and  are  thought  to  have  been  framed  by  the  Apostles. 
They,  with  the  addition,  as  it  was  in  the  begin- 
ning, &c.,  form  what  is  called  the  lesser  doxology,  the 
Gloria  in  excelsis  being  the  greater.  We  pray  that 
all  praise  and  honour  be  given  to  the  Godhead,  one 
in  nature,  three  in  persons;  and  the  second  portion, 
As  it  was  in  the  beginning,  is  now,  and  ever 
shall  be,  world  without  end ;  Amen,  is  ascribed  to 
the  Council  of  Nice,  A.D.  325,  or  perhaps  later,  as  a 
condemnation  of  the  doctrines  of  Arius,  who  maintained 
that  the  Son  was  not  in  the  beginning,  nor  equal  to 
the  Father.  (Rock's  Hierurgia,  vol.  i.  p.  75.) 

The  priest  repeats  again :  I  will  go  unto  the 
altar  of  God,  and  the  server,  to  God  who  giveth 
joy  to  my  youth ;  and  then  he  makes  the  sign  of  the 
Cross  and  confides  himself  to  the  Divine  protection, 
and  with  the  words,  Our  help  is  in  the  name  of 
the  Lord,  the  server  answering:  who  hath  made 
heaven  and  earth,  joins  his  hands,  and  bowing  low, 
says  the  Confiteor. 

As  one  end  of  Sacrifice  is  the  remission  of  sins, 
the  confession  of  sin  and  the  prayer  for  pardon  are 


THE  ORDINARY  OF  THE  MASS. 


fittingly  introduced  here  in  the  introduction  to  the 
Mass  and  just  before  the  priest  mounts  the  holy  altar. 
The  Confiteov  consists  of  two  parts — first  the  con- 
fession of  sin  and  then  the  prayer  for  intercession.  The 
priest  says  the  Confiteov  for  the  pardon  of  his  own  sins, 
and  the  server  says  the  Confiteor  for  the  pardon  of  the 
sins  of  the  people  whom  he  represents. 


P.  Adjutorium  nostrum  in 
nomine  Domini. 

R.  Qui  fecit  coeluni  et  ten-am. 

P.  Confiteor  Deo  omnipo- 
tent!, beatae  Mariae  semper 
Virgini,  beato  Michael!  Arch- 
angelo,  beato  Joanni  Bap- 
tistae,  sanctis  Apostolis  Petro 
et  Paulo,  omnibus  sanctis,  et 
vobis,  fratres,  quia  peccavi 
nimis  cogitatione,  verbo,  et 
opere,  mea  culpa,  mea  culpa, 
mea  maxima  culpa.  Ideo 
precor  beatam  Madam  sem- 
per Virginem,  beatum  Michae- 
lem  Archangelum,  beatum 
Joannem  Baptistam,  sanctos 
Apostolos  Petrum  et  Paulum, 
omnes  sanctos,  et  vos  fratres, 
orare  pro  me  ad  Dominum 
Deum  nostrum. 

R.  Misereatur  tui  omnipotent 
Deus,  et  dimissis  peccatis  tuis, 
perducat  te  ad  vitam  aeternam. 

P.  Amen. 


P.  Our  help  is  in  the  name 
of  the  Lord. 

R.  Who  made  heaven  and 
earth. 

P.  I  confess  to  Almighty 
God,  to  blessed  Mary,  ever  a 
Virgin,  to  blessed  Michael  the 
Archangel,  to  blessed  John 
the  Baptist,  to  the  holy 
Apostles  Peter  and  Paul,  to 
all  the  saints,  and  to  you, 
brethren,  that  I  have  sinned 
exceedingly,  in  thought,  word, 
and  deed,  through  my  fault, 
through  my  fault,  through  my 
most  grievous  fault.  There- 
fore I  beseech  blessed  Mary, 
ever  a  Virgin,  blessed  Michael 
the  Archangel,  blessed  John 
the  Baptist,  the  holy  Apostles 
Peter  and  Paul,  all  the  saints, 
and  you,  brethren,  to  pray  to 
the  Lord  our  God  for  me. 

R.  May  Almighty  God  be 
merciful  to  thee,  and,  having  for- 
given thy  sins,  bring  thee  to  life 
everlasting. 

P.  Amen. 


The  Confiteor  is  then  said  by  the  Server,  &°c. 


P.  Misereatur  vestri  omnipo- 
tens  Deus  et  dimissis  peccatis 
vestris  perducat  vos  ad  vitam 
aeternam. 

R.  Amen. 


P.  May  Almighty  God  have 
mercy  on  you,  forgive  you 
your  sins,  and  bring  you  to- 
life  everlasting. 

R.  Amen. 


THE   ORDINARY   OF   THE   MASS.  57 

Signing  himself  with  the  sign  of  the  Cross,  the  priest  says  : 

P.      Indulgentiam     absolu-  P.  May   the  Almighty  and 

tionem  et  remissionem  pecca-  merciful      Lord      grant      us 

torumnostrorum,tribuat  nobis  pardon, absolution, and  remis- 

omnipotens,     et      misericors  sion  of  our  sins. 
Dominus. 

R.  Amen.  R.  Amen. 

Then  bowing  down,  he  proceeds  : 

V.  Deus  tu  conversus  vivi-  V.  Thou   wilt    turn    again, 

ficabis  nos.  O  God,  and  quicken  us. 

R.  Et plebs  tua  laetabitur  in  R.  And     Thy    people    shall 

te.  rejoice  in  Thee. 

V.  Ostende   nobis   Domine  V.  Show  us,  O   Lord,  Thy 

misericord i am  tuam.  mercy. 

R.  Et salutare  tuum  da  nobis.  R.  And  grant  its  Thy  salva- 

V.  Domine     exaudi     orati-  tion. 

onem  meam.  V.  O  Lord,  hear  my  prayer. 

R.  Et    clamor    meits    ad    te  R.  And  let  my  cry  come  unto 

vcniat.  Thee. 

V.  Dominus  vobiscum.  V.  The  Lord  be  with  you. 

R.  Et  cum  spiritu  tuo.  R.  And  with  thy  spirit, 

EXPLANATION  OF  THE  Confiteor. 


I  confess  to  Almighty  God,  says  the  priest. 
Almighty  because  sin  is  forgiven  by  God  alone,  and 
its  forgiveness  is  a  work  of  omnipotence  ;  to  Blessed 
Mary  ever  a  Virgin,  because  she  is  the  refuge  of 
sinners ;  to  Blessed  Michael  the  Archangel,  as 
Chief  of  the  Heavenly  Host  and  Protector  of  the 
Catholic  Church ;  to  Blessed  John  the  Baptist, 
who  preached  the  Gospel  of  penance  and  led  a  most 
penitential  life  crowned  by  martyrdom  ;  to  the  Holy 
Apostles  Peter  and  Paul — the  two  names  are  always 
connected  in  the  Church's  liturgy — the  former,  Head 
of  the  Church,  the  latter,  Apostle  of  the  Gentiles — 
both  penitent  sinners  ;  to  all  the  Saints,  our  fellow- 
citizens  who  during  life  were  sinners  too  ;  and  to 


58  THE   ORDINARY   OF   THE   MASS. 

you,  brethren,  adds  the  priest,  revealing  his  sin- 
fulness  to  the  congregation,  that  I  have  sinned 
exceedingly  in  thought,  word,  and  deed,  a  clause 
which  embraces  all  sins,  as  those  of  omission  may  be 
classed  under  thought,  for  wilful  omission  is  impos- 
sible without  thought  or  determination.  Next  comes 
the  petition  to  the  saints  already  mentioned,  to  inter- 
cede for  the  priest,  Therefore,  I  beseech,  &c.  Then 
follows  the  Misereatur  by  the  server,  the  confession  by 
the  server,  and  the  absolving  prayer  by  the  priest  : 

May  Almighty  God  have  mercy  on  you, 
forgive  you  your  sins,  and  bring  you  to  life  ever- 
lasting— and  signing  himself  with  the  sign  of  the 
Cross,  the  priest  says — May  the  Almighty  and 
merciful  Lord  grant  us  pardon,  absolution,  and 
remission  of  our  sins. 

Both  prayers  are  by  way  of  supplication,  thej'  are 
not  authoritative,  they  are  not  absolution  strictly  so 
called  as  in  the  confessional  when  the  priest  forgives  by 
a  judicial  sentence.  In  the  confessional  the  priest 
forgives — in  the  Mass  he  begs  we  may  be  forgiven. 
Further  the  priest  cannot  forgive  his  own  sins ;  but  in 
the  Indulgentiam  he  says  peccatorum  nostrorum  (our 
sins)  and  makes  himself  a  part  of  the  people  ;  thus  this 
prayer  is  shown  to  be  a  simple  petition. 

Next,  slightly  bowing,  the  priest  recites  these 
versicles  from  the  84th  Psalm— Thou  wilt  turn 
again,  O  God,  and  quicken  us.  And  Thy  people 
shall  rejoice  in  Thee.  In  the  next  versicle  is 
another  earnest  request — Show  us,  O  Lord,  Thy 
mercy  and  grant  us  Thy  salvation,  that  is,  Thy 
grace  through  Jesus  Christ,  by  whom  alone  we  can  be 
saved  ;  the  words  O  Lord,  hear  my  prayer,  and  let 
my  cry  come  unto  Thee,  express  the  earnestness  of 


THE   ORDINARY   OF   THE   MASS.  59 

the  request.  The  Lord  be  with  you  is  the  first 
greeting  of  the  priest  to  the  people,  and  with  thy 
spirit,  replies  the  server — may  He  be  in  thy  spirit 
too,  O  priest. 

Oremus  is  said  in  a  loud  voice,  as  a  formal  invitation 
to  prayer ;  and  the  two  prayers  that  follow  are  said 
secretly  to  God,  as  the  priest's  private  and  personal 
request  for  the  pardon  of  his  own  offences  before  he 
mounts  the  holy  altar. 

The  priest  prays  in  a  low  voice  inaudible  to  the 
congregation,  secretly  asking  pardon  for  his  personal 
sins.  The  Council  of  Trent  (Sess.  xxii.  c,  5)  prescribes 
that  certain  portions  of  the  Mass  should  be  said  in  a 
loud,  others  in  a  low  tone  of  voice.  These  outward 
signs  add  solemnity  to  the  prayers  of  the  Church,  and 
lift  the  minds  of  the  congregation  to  heavenly  things. 

The  priest  prays : 

Aufer    a   nobis   quaesumus  Take  away  from  us  our  ini- 

Domine    iniquitates  nostras :  quities,  we  beseech  Thee,  O 

ut  ad  Sancta  sanctorum  puris  Lord  :  that  we  may  be  worthy 

mereamur  mentibus  introire.  to  enter  with  pure  minds  into 

Per  Christum  Dominum  nos-  the  Holy  of  Holies.    Through 

trum.     Amen.  Christ  our  Lord.     Amen. 

Bowing  down  over  the  altar,  the  Priest  says : 

Oramus     te     Domine     per  We  beseech  Thee,  O  Lord, 

merita     Sanctorum    tuorum,  by  the  merits  of  Thy  Saints, 

quorum  reliquiae  hie  sunt,  et  whose  relics  are  here,  and  of 

omnium    Sanctorum,    ut    in-  all    the    Saints,    that    Thou 

dulgere   digneris   omnia  pec-  wouldst  vouchsafe  to  forgive 

cata  mea.     Amen.  me  all  my  sins.     Amen. 

EXPLANATION  OF  THE  ABOVE  TWO  PRAYERS. 


Take  away  from  us  our  iniquities,  we  beseech 
Thee  (notice  the  humble  earnestness  of  the  prayer— 


60  THE  ORDINARY  OF  THE  MASS. 

we  beseech  Thee),  that  we  may  be  worthy  to  enter 
with  pure  minds  into  the  Holy  of  Holies. 

In  the  Old  Law  the  High  Priest,  and  he  only,  entered 
once  a  year  into  the  Holy  of  Holies  in  the  Temple 
to  sacrifice  for  himself  and  the  people  ;  in  the  New  any 
priest  may  daily  offer  the  Sacrifice  of  the  Altar. 

Bowing  down  over  the  altar  the  priest  says :  We 
beseech  Thee,  O  Lord  (again  the  humble,  earnest 
request),  by  the  merits  of  Thy  Saints,  whose 
relics  are  here,  and  of  all  the  Saints,  that  Thou 
wouldst  vouchsafe  to  forgive  me  all  my  sins. 
(Again  the  humble  prayer:  dignens — "that  Thou 
wouldst  deign.") 

The  priest  kisses  out  of  reverence  the  relics  of  the 
martyrs  which  rest  in  the  altar-stone.  In  the  earliest 
ages  of  the  Church  Mass  used  to  be  said  on  the  tombs 
of  the  martyrs :  hence  perhaps  another  reason  for 
enclosing  their  relics  beneath  the  table  of  the  altar. 


QUESTIONS  ON  CHAPTER  VIII. 

1.  What   did  antiphon  originally   mean  ?     What    is    its 
meaning  and  use  now  in  the  liturgy  ? 

2.  When  was  the  Psalm  Judica  introduced  into  the  liturgy  ? 
What  is  the  object  of  the  Confiteor  ? 

3.  What  is  the  lesser  Doxology  ? 

4.  What  is  the  difference  between  the  absolution  given  in 
the  Confessional  and  that  in  the  Mass  ? 

5.  Why  does  the  priest  kiss  the  altar  ? 


CHAPTER  the   NINTH. 


THE   INTROIT,    KYRIE,   AND   GLORIA   IN 
EXCELSIS. 

AFTER  kissing  the  altar  and  saying  the  last- 
mentioned  prayer,  the  priest  proceeds  to  the  Epistle 
side  of  the  altar,  and  with  the  sign  of  the  Cross,  begins 
the  Introit. 

THE    INTROIT.1 

The  Introit  (introitus)  is,  as  the  word  indicates,  the 
"  entrance  "  to  the  Mass.  Here  the  Mass  may  be  said 
to  begin.  The  prayers  at  the  foot  of  the  altar  may  be 
considered  the  introduction  to  the  Mass.  There  are 

1  Over  the  Introit  in  the  Roman  Missal  on  all  Ember  days, 
on  the  Sundays  in  Advent,  and  on  all  ferial  Masses  from  Septua- 
gesima  to  Low  Sunday,  we  find  such  inscriptions  as  Static  ad 
S.  Mariam  Majorem — Station  at  the  Church  of  St.  Mary  Major ; 
Static  ad  S.  Crucem  in  Jerusalem — Station  at  the  Church  of  the 
Holy  Cross  in  Jerusalem,  &c.  These  words  indicate  the  church 
where  Holy  Mass  was  said  after  a  solemn  procession  in  which 
the  Pope,  clergy,  and  laity  joined.  The  church  where  the 
procession  halted  and  Mass  was  celebrated  was  called  the 
Station  Church  (statio,  a  halting-place).  The  Station  with  full 
solemnity  consisted  of  three  things.  First,  the  assembling  in  a 
certain  church  ;  next,  the  procession  to  the  Station  Church ;  and 
thirdly,  the  Mass  said  there.  The  preparatory  assemblage  of  people 
was  called  collecta ;  because  clergy  and  people  collected  together 
previous  to  the  solemn  procession  to  the  Station  Church.  The 
banner  of  the  Cross  headed  the  procession;  Psalms  were  chanted 


62  THE   INTROIT. 


indeed  two  introductions  to  the  Mass,  general  and 
special.  The  prayers  before  the  Introit  are  the  general, 
while  the  Preface  forms  the  special  introduction  to  the 
Canon,  the  fixed  and  more  solemn  portion  of  the 
Mass. 

Since  the  Introit  begins  the  Mass,  the  priest  makes 
as  he  recites  it  the  sign  of  the  Cross.  In  Masses  for 
the  Dead  the  sign  of  the  Cross  is  made  over  the  Missal ; 
it  forms  thus  a  suitable  accompaniment  to  the  Church's 
prayer  for  rest  and  light  for  the  souls  in  Purgatory. 

The  Introit  consists  nearly  always  of  a  passage 
from  Holy  Scripture  with  a  verse  of  a  Psalm  and  the 
Gloria  Patri,  after  which  the  introductory  passage  is 
repeated.  The  Scripture  passage  forms  an  antiphon 
to  the  Psalm,  which  was  formerly  said  entire.  When 
the  prayers  of  the  Mass  were  shortened  the  first  verse 
of  the  Psalm  was  retained  often  as  an  epitome  of  the 
whole. 

Le  Brun  and  Benedict  XIV.  attribute  the  intro- 
duction of  Introits  to  Pope  Gregory  the  Great,  590, 
others  attribute  the  Introit  to  Pope  Celestine  I.,  420. 

The  Introit  gives  the  key  to  the  Mass.  The 
character  of  the  Mass  is  known  by  the  Introit.  Joy, 
sorrow,  hope,  desire,  fear,  gratitude,  contrition,  in 

and  the  Litany  of  the  Saints,  as  the  procession  drew  near  to  the 
Church.  In  the  Station  Church,  before  the  celebration  of  the 
Holy  Sacrifice,  a  homily  was  often  delivered  by  the  Pope. 

The  Stations  were  usually  penitential,  though  we  find  them  also 
on  joyful  festivals,  as  in  Easter  Week,  on  the  Ascension  and 
Pentecost.  The  Catholic  Dictionary  (Sixth  Edition,  p.  857),  quoting 
from  Fleury,  says  that  Gregory  the  Great  marked  these  Stations, 
as  we  now  have  them  in  the  Roman  Missal.  In  the  Office  for 
that  Saint  on  March  iath,  in  the  sixth  lesson  we  find  the  following 
reference  to  the  Stations:  "Litanias,  Stationes,  et  Ecclesiasticum 
officium  auxit."  (Dr.  Gihr,  The  Holy  Sacrifice  of  the  Mass.  English 
translation,  pp.  377 — 379.) 


THE   INTR01T.  63. 


short,  every  feeling  of  the  heart  finds  its  expression  in 
the  Introit.  Let  us  take  a  few  examples  : 

In  Masses  for  the  Dead,  the  Church  says  : 
Eternal  rest  give  unto  them,  O  Lord,  and  let 
perpetual  light  shine  upon  them.  Ps.  Ixiv.  A  Hymn, 
O  God,  becometh  Thee  in  Sion ;  and  a  vow 
shall  be  paid  to  Thee  in  Jerusalem.  O  hear 
my  prayer ;  all  flesh  shall  come  to  Thee.  The 
Gloria  Patri  is  omitted,  as  its  tone  is  joyful. 

For  the  great  feast  of  the  Immaculate  Concep- 
tion, the  Church  selects  Isaias  Ixi.  :  Rejoicing  I 
will  rejoice  in  the  Lord  and  my  soul  shall  exult 
in  my  God,  because  He  has  clad  me  with  the 
garments  of  salvation,  and  has  surrounded  me 
with  the  vesture  of  gladness,  like  a  bride  adorned 
with  her  jewels. 

Ps.  xxix. :  I  will  extol  Thee,  O  Lord,  for  Thou 
hast  upheld  me :  and  hast  not  made  my  enemies 
to  rejoice  over  me.  Our  Lady,  into  whose  mouth 
these  words  are  put  by  the  Church,  rejoices  because 
she  has  always  been  free  from  the  stain  of  original  sin 
and  her  enemies  never  had  power  over  her. 

The  Third  Sunday  of  Advent  is  called  Gaudete 
Sunday,  from  the  first  word  of  the  Introit :  Rejoice 
in  the  Lord  always,  again  I  say,  rejoice.  (Philipp. 
2V.),  because  the  Church  rejoices  at  the  near  coming 
of  Jesus  Christ. 

The  Fourth  Sunday  of  Lent  is  called  Lcetare 
Sunday,  from  the  first  word  of  the  Introit.  The  Church 
is  again  rejoicing  because  she  draws  nearer  to  the  day 
of  her  deliverance  through  the  Passion,  and  above  all, 
through  the  Resurrection  of  her  Founder  from  the 
Tomb. 

Saints  have  special   Introits  which   point    to  their 


64  THE  KYRIE  ELEISON. 

characteristic  virtues — thus,  St.  Francis  of  Assisi,  who 
was  distinguished  by  his  love  of  the  Cross,  has  for  his 
Introit  the  words  of  St.  Paul :  God  forbid  that 
I  should  glory  save  in  the  Cross  of  our  Lord 
Jesus  Christ,  while  to  St.  Ignatius  of  Loyola,  the 
singular  honour  belongs  of  having  in  the  Introit  an 
allusion  to  the  name  of  his  Order,  the  Society  of  Jesus  : 
In  the  name  of  Jesus  let  every  knee  bow  of 
those  that  are  in  Heaven,  on  earth,  and  under 
the  earth :  and  let  every  tongue  confess  that  our 
Lord  Jesus  Christ  is  in  the  glory  of  God  the 
Father  (Philipp.  ii.),  followed  by  the  Psalm  :  All  they 
that  love  Thy  name  shall  glory  in  Thee,  for  Thou 
wilt  bless  the  just.  (Ps.  v.) 

Enough  has  been  said  to  show  that  the  Introit  is 
a  part  of  the  Mass  which  gives  it  a  character  according 
to  the  feast  or  ecclesiastical  season. 

THE    KYRIE  ELEISON. 

Originally  the  Kyric  was  said  at  the  Epistle  side : 
the  custom  survives  at  High  Mass. 

The  Kyrie  eleison,  "  Lord  have  mercy  on  us,"  is 
said  at  every  Mass  without  exception — at  Low  Mass 
beneath  the  crucifix,  at  High  Mass  on  the  Epistle  side 
after  the  Introit. 

Kyrie  Eleison  is  said  thrice  in  honour  of  the 
Father ;  thrice  in  honour  of  the  Son ;  thrice  in 
honour  of  the  Holy  Ghost.  We  pray  for  mercy  in 
the  three-fold  misery  of  ignorance,  sin,  and  punish- 
ment. (S.  Th.  Hi.  q.  3.  ad  4.)  The  cry  for  mercy  and 
forgiveness  is  most  appropriately  introduced  at  the 
beginning  of  the  Sacrifice  ;  the  cry  is  repeated  again 
and  again,  that  we  may  offer  the  spotless  Sacrifice 
with  pure  hands. 


THE   GLORIA    IN   EXCELSIS.  65 

We  have  already  seen  in  Chapter  the  Sixth  that  the 
Kyrie  eleison,  now  introduced  into  the  Mass,  is  the  con- 
clusion of  the  Litany  said  before  the  Station  Mass 
began.  Cardinal  Wiseman  thus  speaks  of  its  intro- 
duction in  this  place  :  "  The  Kyrie  eleison, — that  cry  for 
mercy  which  is  to  be  found  in  every  liturgy  of  East 
and  West — seems  introduced  as  if  to  give  grander  effect 
to  the  outburst  of  joy  and  praise  which  succeeds  it  in 
the  Gloria  in  excelsis"  (Essays,  Prayer  and  Prayer  books.) 

THE    GLORIA   IN    EXCELSIS. 

After  the  Kyrie  comes  the  Gloria  in  excelsis.  This 
hymn  is  sometimes  called  the  greater  Doxology  to 
distinguish  it  from  the  lesser,  the  Gloria  Patri.  The 
author  of  the  Church's  greatest  hymn  of  praise  is 
unknown.  The  first  verse,  Glory  be  to  God  on  high 
and  on  earth  peace  to  men  of  good-will,  was  sung 
by  the  Angel  and  the  heavenly  host  on  Christmas  night, 
as  recorded  by  St.  Luke  (ii.  14).  The  Gloria  was  intro- 
duced into  the  Mass  in  the  Roman  Church  first  of  all 
on  Christmas  Day,  when  it  was  sung  in  the  first  Mass 
in  Greek,  in  the  second  in  Latin.  Up  to  the  end  of  the 
eleventh  century  the  Gloria  was  said  by  Bishops  at  Mass 
on  Sundays  and  festivals,  by  priests  only  on  Easter 
Sunday.  At  the  close  of  the  twelfth  century  this  privi- 
lege gradually  extended  to  priests.  Since  the  revision 
of  the  Missal  by  Pius  V.,  in  1570,  the  rule  is  to  say  the 
Gloria  at  Mass  whenever  the  Te  Deum  is  said  at  Matins 
— that  is,  when  the  Mass  conforms  to  the  Office. 

Gloria  in  excelsis  Deo ;    et  Glory  be  to  God  on  high, 

in  terra  pax  hominibus  bonae  and  on  earth  peace  to  men 

voluntatis.      Laudamus    Te ;  of    good -will.       We    praise 

benedicimus   Te ;     adoramus  Thee ;    we   bless  Thee ;    we 

Te  ;  glorificamus  Te.    Gratias  adore  Thee  ;  we  glorify  Thee. 
F 


66 


THE  GLORIA    IN  EXCELSIS. 


agimus  Tibi  propter  magnam 
gloriam  Tuam.  Domine  Deus, 
Rex  coelestis,  Deus  Pater 
omnipotens.  Domine  Fill 
unigenite  Jesu  Christe ; 
Domine  Deus,  Agnus  Dei, 
Filius  Patris,  qui  tollis  peccata 
mundi,  miserere  nobis;  Qui 
tollis  peccata  mundi,  suscipe 
deprecationem  nostram :  Qui 
sedes  ad  dexteram  Patris, 
miserere  nobis.  Quoniam  Tu 
solus  sanctus :  Tu  solus  Domi- 
nus :  Tu  solus  altissimus,  Jesu 
Christe,  cum  Sancto  Spiritu, 
in  gloria  Dei  Patris.  Amen. 


We  give  Thee  thanks  for  Thy 
great  glory,  O  Lord  God, 
heavenly  King,  God  the 
Father  Almighty.  O  Lord 
Jesus  Christ,  the  only-begotten 
Son ;  O  Lord  God,  Lamb  of 
God,  Son  of  the  Father,  who 
takest  away  the  sins  of  the 
world,  have  mercy  upon  us ; 
Thou  who  takest  away  the 
sins  of  the  world  receive  our 
petitions ;  Thou  who  sittest 
at  the  right  hand  of  the 
Father  have  mercy  upon  us. 
For  Thou  alone  art  holy : 
Thou  alone  art  Lord :  Thou 
alone,  O  Jesus  Christ,  with 
the  Holy  Ghost,  art  most  high 
in  the  glory  of  God  the 
Father.  Amen. 


EXPLANATION  OF  THE  Gloria  in  excelsis. 

Let  me  offer  a  brief  and  simple  explanation  of  this 
hymn  of  praise. 

Glory  be  to  God  on  high,  that  is,  may  God  be 
glorified,  be  honoured,  and  praised  in  Heaven,  and  on 
earth  peace  to  men  of  good-will,  and  on  earth  may 
peace,  the  calm  ever  found  where  order  reigns,  belong  to 
men  who  are  the  objects  of  God's  good-will  and  special 
love — who  have  pleased  God.  Now  we  enter  on  the 
creature's  praise  of  God — we  praise  Thee  ;  we  wish  in 
words  to  acknowledge  Thy  excellence,  we  bless  Thee ; 
as  our  Lord  and  God  from  whom  all  good  things  come. 
We  adore  Thee,  we  pay  Thee  that  supreme  homage  of 
mind  and  will  which  God  alone  can  claim  ;  we  glorify 
Thee,  that  through  our  words,  however  poor,  the  clear 
knowledge  of  Thee  may  spread  abroad ;  Thy  glory  we 
wish  to  seek,  not  our  own.  We  give  Thee  thanks 


THE   GLORIA    IN   EXCELSIS.  67 

for  Thy  great  glory.  These  words  express  the  very 
highest  form  of  gratitude  which  human  nature  can  reach. 
We  thank  Him,  not  for  His  goodness  to  us,  but  for  the 
great  glory  which  He  has  possessed  from  all  eternity 
and  will  possess  by  the  works  of  His  hands. 

O  Lord  God,  heavenly  King,  God  the  Father 
Almighty.  The  word  Lord  means  owner  and  Supreme 
Master  of  Heaven  and  earth  and  all  therein  ;  and  God  is 
the  fulness  of  every  conceivable  perfection.  As  heavenly 
King  He  rules  over  the  Blessed  choirs  of  Heaven.  As 
Father  He  summons  everything  into  being — Almighty 
is  the  epithet  most  often  applied  to  God  in  Scripture 
comprising  all  wisdom,  knowledge,  power — to  whom 
alone  in  token  of  supreme  dominion  Mass  is  offered. 

We  now  come  to  the  second  portion  of  the  hymn. 
The  supplication  is  addressed  to  Jesus  Christ. 

O  Lord  Jesus  Christ  is  our  Saviour's  full  title ;  as 
Lord  He  is  Master  of  Heaven  and  earth,  to  whom  as 
Man  all  power  is  given.  Jesus  (Saviour)  comprises  the 
whole  work  of  redemption ;  Christ  the  anointed  one 
hears  us  with  the  Father  and  deigns  to  pray  for  us  to 
the  Father.  Christ  is  Man  and  God;  He  prays  as  Man, 
as  God  He  grants  what  He  prays  for.  (St.  Augustine.} 
Lord  God  are  the  titles  of  omnipotence :  Lamb  of 
God  refers  to  the  Passion  and  to  the  mystical  slaying 
at  the  Mass:  who  takest  away  the  sins  of  the  world 
— these  words  were  first  used  by  St.  John  the  Baptist, 
"  Behold  the  Lamb  of  God,  behold  Him  who  taketh 
away  the  sin  of  the  world  "  (St.  John  i.  29) — on  His 
Cross  by  complete  redemption  and  satisfaction ;  have 
mercy  on  us  is  the  Church's  prayer  for  pardon 
repeated  again  and  again  in  her  Offices  and  public 
prayers.  Thou  who  sittest  at  the  right  hand  of 
the  Father;  as  Man  Christ  occupies  the  highest  place 


68  THE  GLORIA    IN  EXCELSIS. 

in  Heaven  above  angels  and  men,  and  as  God  is  infi- 
nitely merciful :  receive  our  petitions  ;  these  words 
do  not  perfectly  render  the  original  Latin  suscipe  depre- 
cationem  nostrum;  suscipe  in  Scriptural  language  means 
hear  and  mercifully  grant,  as  in  Gen.  xix.  21.  Etiam  in  hoc 
suscepi  preces  tuas — "  Behold  also  in  this,  I  have  heard 
thy  prayers,  not  to  destroy  the  city  for  which  thou  hast 
spoken."  Suscipe  has  constantly  this  sense  in  the  Mass. 

Have  mercy  on  us,  says  the  Church,  and  forgive  us 
our  sins — qui  tollis  peccata  mundi,  miserere  nobis ; 
and  forgive  us  also  the  evils  that  follow  sin  in  the 
punishment  we  have  deserved,  suscipe  depreca- 
tionem  nostram ;  precatio,  says  St.  Augustine,  means 
a  petition  that  good  things  be  granted,  deprecatio  that 
evil  things  be  averted. 

The  hymn  concludes  with  these  words  of  praise : 
For  Thou  alone  art  holy,  holy  by  nature  and  by 
essence ;  holiness  is  Thy  being,  and  all  creatures 
borrow  their  holiness  from  Thee :  Thou  alone  art 
Lord,  absolute  Master  of  Heaven  and  earth ;  man  is 
but  the  steward  of  the  few  things  he  owns,  Christ  is 
King  of  kings  and  Lord  of  lords,  Thou  alone,  O  Jesus 
Christ,  with  the  Holy  Ghost,  art  most  high,  because 
Thy  Sacred  Humanity  is  elevated  and  glorified  above 
all  created  things,  that  Sacred  Humanity  is  in  the 
glory  of  God  the  Father.  Amen. 

A  few  ceremonies  are  prescribed  to  the  priest  in 
saying  the  Gloria.  As  he  says  or  intones  Gloria  in 
excelsis  he  extends  his  hands  and  lifts  them  to  his 
shoulders  to  show  his  ardent  desire  to  praise  God.  At 
Deo  he  joins  his  hands  and  bows  to  the  cross  or  to  the 
Blessed  Sacrament  if  exposed,  and  he  bows  at  the 
words,  we  adore  Thee,  we  give  Thee  thanks, 
receive  our  petitions,  and  twice  on  mentioning  the 
name  of  Jesus. 


QUESTIONS  ON    CHAPTER   IX.  69 


QUESTIONS  ON  CHAPTER  IX. 

1.  Explain  what  is  meant  by  the  Station  Mass. 

2.  Give  the  meaning  of  the  word  Introit.     Of  what  does 
it  consist  ? 

3.  What  is  the  origin  of  the  Kyrie  ?    Why  is  the  Greek 
form  retained  ? 

4.  When  is  the  Gloria  said  ?     What  changes  have  been 
effected  in  this  matter  since  the  twelfth  century  ? 

5.  Write  an  explanation  of  the  Gloria  word  for  word. 


CHAPTER   the    TENTH. 


DOMINUS  VOBISCUM,  COLLECT,  AND 
EPISTLE. 

AT  the  end  of  the  Gloria  the  priest  kisses  the  altar  and 
turning  to  the  people,  says  Dominus  vobiscum,  "the 
Lord  be  with  you,"  and  the  server  representing  the 
congregation,  returns  the  salutation,  saying  and  with 
thy  spirit — may  He  be  with  your  soul  or  spirit  also, 
O  priest. 

Whenever  the  priest  turns  round  to  salute  the  con- 
gregation with  the  Dominus  vobiscum,  he  first  kisses  the 
altar,  or  more  properly  the  altar-stone,  in  which  repose 
the  relics  of  the  martyrs.  The  kiss  is  a  mark  of 
veneration  to  the  martyrs,  and  much  more  a  sign  of 
love  and  reverence  for  Jesus  Christ,  who  is  soon  to  be 
offered  in  Sacrifice  on  that  altar  for  the  living  and  the 
dead. 

In  the  earliest  times,  as  the  priest  said  Mass  facing 
the  people,  he  did  not  turn  round  at  the  Dominus 
vobiscum.  At  the  Papal  Mass  said  over  the  Tomb  of 
the  Apostles  the  Pope  faces  the  congregation,  and  does 
not  turn  to  the  people  at  the  Dominus  vobiscum.  When 
the  position  of  the  altar  was  changed  the  celebrant 
naturally  turned  to  the  people  in  saluting  them. 

The  salutation,  "  The  Lord  be  with  thee,"  was  used 


THE  COLLECT.  71 


by  Booz  in  addressing  the  reapers  (Ruth  it.  4),  "  And 
behold,  he  came  out  of  Bethlehem,  and  said  to  the 
reapers,  The  Lord  be  with  you.  And  they  answered 
him,  The  Lord  bless  thee."  See  also  Judges  (vi.  12)  and 
Gabriel's  salutation  to  our  Lady — "  The  Lord  is  with 
thee." 

The  priest,  by  the  salutation,  wishes  every  grace 
to  the  people  that  the  presence  of  God  brings  ;  and  the 
people  by  their  et  cum  spirit-it,  tuo,  implore  that  the 
soul  of  the  priest  be  filled  with  God,  thus  enabling  him 
to  offer  worthily  the  Holy  Sacrifice. 

The  Bishop,  at  a  Mass  in  which  the  Gloria  is  said, 
uses  the  formula  pax  vobis  instead  of  Dominus  vobiscum. 
The  words  pax  vobis  are  possibly  taken  from  the  Gloria. 
The  pax  vobis  of  the  Bishop  (our  Lord's  favourite 
greeting  to  His  disciples  after  His  Resurrection)  is 
said  to  be  a  remnant  of  the  privilege,  according  to 
Benedict  XIV.,  as  stated  in  the  Introductory  Chapter, 
which  once  belonged  to  the  Bishop  alone  of  saying  the 
Gloria  at  Mass.  The  pax  vobis,  in  the  mouth  of  the  Bishop, 
reminds  us  of  the  privilege.  Pax  vobis  is  higher  than 
Dominus  vobiscum,  since  the  former  is  our  Lord's  own 
salutation,  and  proceeds  from  the  Bishop,  who  possesses 
the  fulness  of  the  priesthood  and  a  higher  power  to 
bless  than  a  priest. 

THE  COLLECT. 

After  the  Dominus  vobiscum  the  priest  moves  to 
the  Epistle  side,  and  bowing  to  the  cross,  says, 
Oremus,  "let  us  pray."  These  words,  as  already 
stated,  contain  a  distinct  invitation  to  the  congregation 
to  join  with  the  priest  in  prayer.  The  priest  raises  his 
hands  to  his  shoulders.  This  gesture  is  perhaps,  so  some 
writers  assure  us,  in  memory  of  our  Lord's  outstretched 


72  THE   COLLECT. 


arms  on  the  Cross.  Certain  Religious  Orders  in  portions 
of  the  Mass  extend  their  arms  almost  to  their  full  length. 
It  should  be  remembered,  however,  that  the  Church 
adopts  customs  already  existing,  makes  them  her  own, 
and  consecrates  them  to  the  service  of  God.  Her  vest- 
ments are  taken  from  the  ordinary  garments  in  use 
during  the  earliest  stage  of  her  existence,  her  Basilicas 
are  the  Roman  Courts  of  Justice,  and  the  method  of 
praying  with  outstretched  arms  was  and  is  still  prevalent 
in  the  East,  and  to  this  day  is  seen  amongst  the  poor  in 
Ireland.  The  frescoes  in  the  Catacombs  represent 
saints  of  both  sexes  praying  with  arms  outstretched.  In 
the  i4oth  Psalm  we  read,  "  The  lifting  up  of  my  hands 
as  an  evening  sacrifice,"  while  St.  Paul  bids  Timothy 
(i  Tim.  ii.  8)  to  pray,  lifting  up  holy  hands.  The  Collect 
(called  Oratio  in  the  Roman  Missal),  is  eminently  the 
prayer  of  the  day  or  feast,  in  which  the  Church  begs 
special  gifts  and  graces  corresponding  to  the  different 
feasts  and  seasons  of  the  year.  (Dr.  Gihr,  The  Holy 
Sacrifice  of  the  Mass,  p.  407.) 

The  word  Collect  has  been  explained  in  various 
ways.  One  simple  explanation  is  that  the  Collect 
gathers,  collects  together  in  the  mouth  of  the  priest  the 
wants  and  wishes  of  the  faithful,  for  whom  the  priest  at 
Mass  pleads. 

Many  of  the  Collects  now  said  were  composed  by 
St.  Gelasius  (492)  or  St.  Gregory  (590),  while  many  are 
of  a  later  date,  and  are  continually  added  for  new  feasts. 

Almost  all  the  Collects  are  addressed  to  the  Father 
and  end  with  the  words,  "through  our  Lord  Jesus 
Christ,"  &c. ;  only  a  few,  and  these  of  recent  date,  are 
addressed  to  the  Son,  and  none  to  the  Holy  Ghost. 
Why  are  the  Collects  chiefly  addressed  to  the  Father  ? 
Because  the  Mass  represents  the  Sacrifice  by  which 


THE   COLLECT.  73 


Christ  offered  Himself  to  the  Father,  and  therefore 
the  prayers  of  the  Liturgy  are  directed  to  the  Father 
Himself. 

A  word  as  to  the  formation  of  the  Collect.  The 
Collects,  however  varied,  are  written  more  or  less  on 
the  same  lines.  St.  Paul  desires  that  supplications, 
prayers,  intercessions,  and  thanksgivings  be  made  by 
men.  This  rule  is  followed  in  the  Collects. 

Take  a  few  familiar  instances.  The  Collect  for  the 
Holy  Ghost :  O  God  (lifting  of  the  heart  to  God  the 
Father)  who  didst  instruct  the  hearts  of  the 
faithful  by  the  light  of  the  Holy  Spirit  (statement 
of  a  grace  and  thanksgiving),  grant  us  in  the  same 
Spirit  to  relish  what  is  right  and  ever  to  rejoice 
in  His  consolations  (the  request),  through  our 
Lord  Jesus  Christ,  Thy  Son,  who  with  Thee 
liveth  and  reigneth  in  the  unity  of  the  Holy 
Spirit  through  everlasting  ages.  These  words, 
which  end  all  Collects  addressed  to  the  Father,  implore 
what  is  asked  through  the  merits  of  the  Passion  and 
Death  of  our  Lord. 

Here  is  a  Collect  addressed  to  Christ  for  the  feast 
of  the  Blessed  Sacrament : 

O  God  (the  elevation  of  the  heart  to  God)  who 
under  a  wonderful  Sacrament  hast  left  us  a 
memorial  of  Thy  Passion  (statement  of  a  favour  and 
consequently  thanksgiving),  grant  us,  we  beseech 
Thee  (the  Church's  favourite  form  of  earnest  petition), 
so  to  reverence  the  sacred  mysteries  of  Thy 
Body  and  Blood,  that  we  may  continually  find 
the  fruit  of  Thy  redemption  in  our  souls  (close 
of  petition),  who  livest  and  reignest,  world  without 
end  (thus  ends  often  the  Collect  addressed  to  the  Son), 
or  the  fuller  form :  who  livest  and  reignest  in  the 


74 


THE   EPISTLE. 


unity    of   the    Holy    Ghost,    God    through    ever- 
lasting ages. 

The  first  or  principal  Collect  is  always  peculiar  to 
the  Sunday  or  festival.  On  greater  days  one  Collect 
only  is  said ;  on  all  festivals  except  the  chief,  other 
Collects  are  admissible,  and  these  are  called  Com- 
memorations— a  remembrance  of  saints  and  feasts. 
A  Collect  prescribed  by  the  Bishop  in  some  special 
need  is  called  an  Oratio  imperata,  a  prayer  ordered. 
That  prayer  is  sometimes  for  the  Pope,  or  Church, 
or  for  a  temporal  gain,  e.g.,  fine  weather,  &c. 

Amen  gives  assent  to  all  said  by  the  priest.  In 
the  early  ages  the  people  answered  Amen  at  Mass. 
The  server  now  answers  for  them. 

THE  EPISTLE. 

The  Jews  began  the  public  service  of  their  Sabbath 
by  reading  from  Moses  and  the  Prophets.  (Acts  xiii.  15.) 
The  first  Christians  followed  their  example,  and  during 
divine  worship  on  the  Sunday  read  passages  from  the 
New  or  Old  Testament. 

The  general  rule  is,  with  few  exceptions,  that  each 
Mass  has  two  lessons  from  the  Bible  said  or  sung 
during  the  Holy  Sacrifice,  one  is  the  Epistle,  the  other 
the  Gospel. 

The  Epistle  may  be  taken  from  any  portion  of  the 
Old  or  New  Testament  except  the  Psalms  and  the  four 
Gospels.  It  is  stated  by  Dr.  Gihr  that  the  present 
arrangement  of  Epistles  and  Gospels  throughout  the 
year,  substantially  as  we  have  them  now,  was  not  made 
before  the  sixteenth  century.  (Holy  Sacrifice  of  the  Mass, 
p.  436.) 

The  Epistle  is  more  commonly  taken  from  the 
Epistles  of  the  Apostles,  and  was  once  called  Apostle, 


THE   EPISTLE.  75 


because  taken  from  Apostolic  writings,  that  is,  Acts, 
Epistles,  or  Apocalypse.  Postmodum  dicitttr  oratio,  deinde 
sequitur  Apostolus.  (Gregorian  Sacramentary,  Migne,  P.L. 
Ixxviii.  24.) 

The  Epistle  at  High  Mass  is  chanted  by  the  sub- 
deacon,  the  Gospel  by  the  deacon.  The  Epistle  is  read 
before  the  Gospel  to  mark  the  subordination  of  the  former 
to  the  latter.  The  Epistle  gives  the  teaching  of  Prophets 
and  Apostles,  the  Gospel  is  the  direct  teaching  of  Christ. 

The  Gospel  determines  the  choice  of  the  Epistle ; 
these  two  lessons  from  the  Bible  are  in  perfect  harmony, 
they  often  express  the  same  idea,  seen  sometimes  from 
different  points  of  view.  (See  Epistle  and  Gospel  for 
the  Sundays  in  Advent,  the  Epiphany,  Ash  Wednesday, 
the  First  Sunday  in  Lent,  Passion  Sunday,  the  Second 
Sunday  after  Easter,  Corpus  Christi,  the  Immaculate 
Conception,  the  Seven  Dolours,  the  Assumption,  Pente- 
cost, St.  Augustine,  Apostle  of  England  ;  St.  Mary 
Magdalene,  the  Sacred  Heart,  and  Masses  for  the 
Dead.  The  close  relationship  between  the  Epistle  and 
Gospel  is  very  evident  in  Votive  Masses  for  the  Angels, 
for  the  Holy  Ghost,  for  the  Passion  of  our  Lord,  for 
the  Grace  of  a  Happy  Death,  for  the  Sick,  for  Bride 
and  Bridegroom.) 

At  the  end  of  the  Epistle  the  server  answers  Deo 
gratias,  to  give  thanks  to  God  for  the  gift  of  His  holy 
doctrine. 

QUESTIONS  ON  CHAPTER  X. 

1.  What  is  the  origin  and  meaning  of  Dominus  vobiscutn  ? 
When  and  why  is  Pax  vobis  used  instead  ? 

2.  What  is  the  meaning  of  Collect  ?     To  whom  are  the 
Collects  chiefly  addressed — and  why  ? 

3.  Why  is  the  Epistle  so  called  ?     Whence  is  it  taken  ? 


CHAPTER   the    ELEVENTH. 


THE   GRADUAL,  ALLELUIA,  TRACT, 
AND   SEQUENCE. 

THE  Gradual  is  called  from  gradus,  a  step,  because  it 
was  formerly  sung  on  the  step  of  the  ambo  where  the 
Lector  had  read  the  Epistle.  The  Gradual  was  once 
called  responsory.  The  first  part  was  called  responsorium 
as  an  answer  to  the  Epistle,  the  second  versus.  The 
Gradual  represents  a  verse  or  two  of  psalms  once  sung 
all  through.  Sometimes  the  Gradual  is  the  Church's 
own  composition  and  not  taken  from  Scripture,  as  in  the 
feast  of  the  Seven  Dolours.  The  first  part  of  the  Gradual 
in  Requiem  Masses  is  also  composed  by  the  Church. 

The  force  and  meaning  of  the  Gradual  is  clearly 
seen  when  we  remember  that  it  is  closely  and 
intimately  connected  with  three  other  portions  of  the 
Mass,  the  Introit,  Offertory,  and  Communion.  (See 
the  Mass  for  the  First  Sunday  in  Lent,  the  Mass  for 
the  Holy  Innocents  and  Angel  Guardians,  the  Common 
for  Bishop  and  Confessor,  &c.)  The  Introit,  Gradual, 
Offertory,  and  Communion  are  variable  and  were  once 
always  sung. 

The  Gradual  is  seldom  said  or  sung  alone.  The  Alleluia 
verse,  as  it  is  called,  is  generally  added  to  the  Gradual 
throughout  the  year.  This  verse  consists  of  two  Alleluias, 


THE   GRADUAL.  77 


a  verse  of  Scripture,  and  a  third  Alleluia.  From 
Septuagesima  to  Holy  Saturday  Alleluia  is  not  said 
at  Mass.  The  Gradual  is  omitted  from  the  Saturday 
in  Easter  Week  to  the  Octave  of  Pentecost.  During 
this  period  the  Gradual  (except  on  Rogation  Days  and 
Whitsun-eve)  gives  place  to  the  major  Alleluia,  which, 
strictly  speaking,  ushers  in  the  Eastertide.  The  major 
Alleluia  is  so  called  to  distinguish  it  from  the  Alleluia 
verse  or  minor  Alleluia.  The  major  Alleluia  consists 
of  two  Alleluias  prefixed  to  two  verses,  and  Alleluia  is 
added  at  the  end  of  each  verse. 

Why,  it  may  be  asked,  is  the  Gradual  retained  up  to 
Friday  in  Easter  Week  inclusively  ?  We  reply  that  the 
Church  had  a  special  reason  during  the  first  thousand 
years  of  its  existence  for  inserting  the  Gradual  during 
Easter  Week.  The  Church  had  before  her  mind  in  her 
liturgical  worship  the  newly  baptized,  who  on  Holy 
Saturday  were  born  again  by  Baptism  to  a  higher 
life.  During  Easter  Week  the  neophytes  continued 
their  instruction  in  the  mysteries  of  the  faith,  and 
wore  white  garments,  which  in  some  places  were  laid 
aside  on  Saturday  in  Easter  Week  and  in  others  on 
Low  Sunday:  hence  the  titles,  Sabbato  in  Albis,  Dominica 
in  Albis,  in  the  Roman  Missal.  Liturgists  tell  us  that 
the  Gradual  lies  midway  between  the  mournful  Tract 
and  joyful  Alleluia.  It  denotes,  as  we  are  told,  the 
toilsome  journey  of  the  Christian  to  the  Better  Land. 
The  Gradual  at  Eastertide  was  an  admonition  to  the 
newly  baptized  that  Heaven  is  gained  after  a  conflict. 
Saturday  was  the  octave  of  Solemn  Baptism  ;  and 
the  octave  is  said  to  symbolize  eternal  beatitude, 
when  the  newly  baptized  reach  their  home  in  Heaven 
and  the  great  end  of  Baptism  is  thus  obtained.  The 
Gradual  ceases  on  Saturday  in  Easter  Week  and  the 


7»  THE  TRACT. 

triumphant  Alleluia  takes  its  place.  (See  the  Holy 
Sacrifice  of  the  Mass,  Gihr.  English  translation,  p.  461.) 
The  ancient  baptismal  rite  on  Holy  Saturday  has 
long  since  fallen  into  disuse,  but  the  Gradual  in 
Easter  Week  is  retained.  Another  survival  of  an  old 
custom. 

THE   TRACT. 

In  certain  seasons,  as  from  Septuagesima  to  Easter, 
the  joyful  Alleluia  is  exchanged  for  the  Tract,  which  is 
of  a  mournful  character.  The  word  Tract  is  derived 
from  tractim ;  Tract  meant  something  sung  tractim, 
without  break  or  interruption  of  other  voices  as  in 
responsories  and  antiphons.  The  Tract  is  usually  taken 
from  Scripture,  very  often  from  the  Psalms.  Its 
character  or  tone  sometimes  resembles  the  Gradual 
(see  for  example  the  Gradual  and  Tract  in  the  Votive 
Mass  of  the  Holy  Ghost  after  Septuagesima,  and  in 
Requiem  Masses). 

The  Sequence,  sometimes  called  the  Prose,  from  the 
irregularity  of  its  metre,  derived  its  name  from  the  last 
vowel  of  the  Alleluia  which  followed  on  through  a  series 
of  notes  without  words.  Different  notes  on  one  syllable 
without  words  may  easily  be  difficult  even  to  correct 
Fingers.  In  the  tenth  century  words  were  put  to  these 
notes — and  this  is  the  origin  of  what  is  now  called  a 
Sequence  (a  following  on).  Five  are  said  or  sung  in 
church,  the  Victimae  Paschali  at  Easter,  the  Veni  Sancte 
Spiritus  at  Whitsuntide,  the  Lauda  Sion  for  Corpus 
Christi ;  the  Stabat  Mater  and  the  Dies  Irae. 


QUESTIONS   ON   CHAPTER  XI.  79 


QUESTIONS  ON  CHAPTER  XI. 

1.  Why  is  the  Gradual  so  called  ?    What  is  it  the  survival 
of  ?     With  what  portions  of  the  Mass  is  it  closely  connected 
in  thought  and  meaning  ? 

2.  What  is  meant  by  the  Alleluia  verse,  and  what  by  the 
Major  Alleluia?     Why  is  the  Gradual  retained  in   Easter 
week? 

3.  What  does  the  word  Tract  mean  ?     When  is  it  used  ? 

4.  Give  the   origin   of   the   word   Sequence.     Name  the 
Sequences  now  in  use  in  the  Roman  Liturgy. 


CHAPTER   the   TWELFTH. 


THE   GOSPEL  AND  THE  CREED. 

THE  second  lesson  from  the  Bible  read  at  Mass  is 
called  the  Gospel  (the  good  tidings  of  God).  After  the 
Blessed  Eucharist  there  is  nothing  the  Church  venerates 
more  than  the  word  of  God  in  the  Gospel.  At  High 
Mass  the  Gospel  has  lights  and  incense  in  token  of  the 
Church's  veneration ;  while  only  the  priest  or  deacon 
is  allowed  to  read  or  sing  it  at  Mass. 

Before  the  Gospel  the  priest  bowing  profoundly 
before  the  altar,  says  two  prayers — the  first  is  called  the 
Munda  cor  meum  and  is  as  follows  :  Almighty  God  who 
didst  with  a  burning  coal  purify  the  lips  of  the 
Prophet  Isaiah,  cleanse  also  my  heart  and  my  lips, 
and  of  Thy  merciful  kindness  vouchsafe  to  purify 
me  that  I  may  worthily  announce  Thy  holy  Gospel, 
through  Christ  our  Lord.  Amen. 

This  prayer  alone  shows  the  great  importance  set  by 
the  Church  on  the  reading  and  explanation  of  the 
Gospel.  The  allusion  is  to  the  vision  told  in  the  sixth 
chapter  of  Isaiah.  In  a  vision  the  Prophet  saw  the 
God  of  armies  and  his  own  unworthiness  to  preach 
God's  message,  "  and  one  of  the  Seraphim  flew  to  me 
and  in  his  hands  was  a  live  coal,  which  he  had  taken 
with  the  tongs  off  the  altar.  And  he  touched  my  mouth 
and  said,  Behold  this  hath  touched  thy  lips,  and  thy 


THE   GOSPEL.  81 


iniquities  shall  be  taken  away,  and  thy  sin  shall  be 
cleansed."  Then  only  did  the  Prophet  gain  courage 
to  give  God's  message.  The  fire  is  the  figure  of  the 
grace  of  the  Holy  Spirit  which  consumes  all  imper- 
fections, and  cleanses  the  heart  to  preach  the  Gospel. 

The  second  prayer  is  as  follows  :  May  the  Lord 
be  in  my  heart  and  on  my  lips  that  I  may  worthily 
and  in  a  becoming  manner  (this  refers  to  the  reading 
or  explanation)  announce  His  Gospel. 

After  saying  this  prayer  in  secret  the  priest  moves 
to  the  right  side  of  the  altar,  and  in  a  loud  voice 
addresses  his  salutation  to  the  people,  The  Lord  be 
with  you,  the  server  answers  and  with  thy  spirit, 
which  means  here  a  mutual  desire  of  priest  and  people 
to  announce  and  receive  the  Gospel  in  fitting  dis- 
positions. 

The  priest  then  says,  according  to  the  passage  that 
he  is  going  to  read,  either  the  beginning  of  the 
Gospel  according  to  St.  Matthew  (or  another 
Evangelist)  or  a  continuation  of  the  Gospel. 

The  words  of  the  Church  indicate  that  there  are  not 
four  Gospels,  but  one  Gospel  written  by  four  Evangelists 
from  different  points  of  view.  The  server  answers 
Glory  be  to  Thee,  O  Lord,  because  the  good  news 
of  the  Gospel  teaches  us  to  honour  and  praise  God. 

The  priest  makes  the  sign  of  the  Cross  on  the 
Missal,  not  to  bless  it,  but  to  signify  "  This  is  the  book 
of  the  Crucified."  The  Gospel  is  the  word  of  the 
Cross.  The  priest  next  makes  the  sign  of  the  Cross 
on  his  forehead,  lips,  and  heart,  to  remind  us  that  we 
ought  to  carry  the  doctrine  of  a  crucified  Redeemer  in 
our  mind,  on  our  lips,  and  in  our  heart. 

The  Church's  Rubrics  observed  in  the  reading  of  the 
Gospel  show  her  esteem  for  the  Sacred  Word. 


82  THE  GOSPEL. 


(1)  The  Gospel  is  read  at  the  right  or  more  honour- 
able side  of  the   altar.     Right  and  left  on  the 
altar    are   indicated   by   the   arms   of  the    cross- 
over the  tabernacle.     Consequently  the  Gospel 
is  the  right,  the  Epistle  the  left  of  the  altar. 

(2)  The  congregation  stand  as  a  mark  of  respect 
and  reverence.     The  rubric  in  the  Roman  Missal 
seems  now-a-days  forgotten  in  England  —  "at 
private    Masses   the   congregation    (circumstantes) 
always  kneel,  even  in  paschal  time,  except  while 
the  Gospel  is  read." 

(3)  At  High  Mass  two  acolytes  with  lighted  candles 
and   the   thurifer  with   incense    accompany  the 
deacon  as  he  chants  the  Gospel.     The  lighted 
candles  signify  the  light  of  faith,  the   perfume 
of  incense  the  good  odour  of  Christ,  while  the 
consuming  of  the  incense  itself  by  fire  is  suit- 
able to  the  idea  of  destruction  involved  in  the 
Sacrifice. 

(4)  The  kiss  given   by  the  celebrant  to  the  sacred 
volume  is  a  token  of  homage  to  and  affection  for 
our  Lord's  teaching.     The  words  said  while  he 
kisses  the  Missal,  after  the  first  Gospel,   May 
our  sins  be  blotted  out  by  the  words  of  the 
Gospel,  are  the  Church's  petition  for  the  pardon 
of  sin,  through  those  acts  of  sorrow  and  love 
which  the  words  of  the  Gospel  above  all  other 
words  excite  in  the  heart. 


THE  CREED.  83 


THE  CREED. 

After  the  Gospel  on  Sundays  follows  usually  the 
sermon  or  explanation  of  the  Gospel. 

The  Gospel,  then,  closes  the  first  of  the  two 
great  divisions  of  Mass.  The  Mass  to  the  end  of 
the  Gospel  and  sermon  was  called  in  the  early  ages 
of  the  Church  the  Missa  Catechumenovum  —  the  Mass 
of  the  Catechumens — from  the  Offertory  to  the  lie 
Missa  est,  Missa  fiddium — the  Mass  of  the  faithful. 

The  catechumens,  or  those  under  instruction  for  the 
Church,  were  dismissed  after  the  Gospel.  The  Dis- 
cipline of  the  Secret  lasted  for  the  first  five  hundred 
years  in  the  Church.  We  have  already  alluded  in  the 
Introductory  Chapter  to  the  Discipline  of  the  Secret,  or 
the  custom  which  prevailed  in  the  early  Church  of  con- 
cealing from  heathens  and  catechumens  the  more  secret 
and  mysterious  doctrines  of  the  Catholic  Church,  either 
by  not  mentioning  them  at  all,  or  by  mentioning  them 
in  enigmatical  language,  intelligible  only  to  those  who 
were  initiated  into  its  meaning.  "  That  it  existed  even 
as  a  rule  with  respect  to  the  sacraments,"  says  Cardinal 
Newman,  "seems  to  be  admitted  on  all  hands."  In 
times  of  persecution  the  Christians  were  afraid  to  speak 
openly  of  their  doctrines  and  worship,  from  the  fear  of 
increasing  their  own  persecution  or  of  having  their 
doctrines  misunderstood  or  laughed  at.  They  were 
especially  anxious  to  keep  the  Blessed  Eucharist  and 
Mass  secret  from  heathens  and  even  catechumens. 

The  Offertory  begins  the  Mass  of  the  Faithful,  or  ot 
those  who  professed  the  Catholic  faith.  The  Credo  is 
fittingly  introduced  after  the  Gospel  as.  a  solemn  act  of 
faith  in  the  Gospel  and  doctrines  of  Divine  revelation. 


84  THE  CREED. 


The  Credo  is  a  suitable  introduction  to  the  Sacrifice,  as 
it  is  a  confession  of  faith  in  our  Divine  Redeemer,  who 
is  both  Priest  and  Victim. 

After  the  Gospel  on  certain  days  the  Creed  is  said 
or  sung.  These  days  are,  all  Sundays  in  the  year,  all 
feasts  of  our  Lord  and  the  Blessed  Virgin,  of  the 
Apostles,  and  Doctors  of  the  Church,  the  feasts  of  All 
Saints,  the  feast  of  the  Angel  Guardians,  and  practically 
all  Doubles  of  the  First  Class. 

Apostles  and  Doctors  have  the  Credo,  because  to 
them  in  a  special  way  belongs  the  duty  of  teaching  the 
truths  of  faith  professed  in  the  Credo.  Except  the 
Mother  of  God,  to  St.  Mary  Magdalene  alone  among 
women  the  Credo  is  given.  St.  Theresa  and  other  saintly 
women  may  have  the  Credo  on  their  feast  in  a  special 
church,  because  that  feast  is  a  Double  of  the  First  Class 
in  that  church,  or  because  it  claims  the  saint  as  its 
patron. 

The  Credo  in  the  Mass  is  called  in  the  Church's 
language  Synibolum  Nicaenum  Constantinopolitanum.  Sym- 
bolum  means  a  sign.  The  Creed  is  the  sign  of  the  true 
Faith  we  profess  and  to  which  we  belong.  In  it  are 
gathered  together  the  chief  Dogmas  of  Faith.  In  the 
Constantinopolitan  Creed  we  have  clearly  defined  the 
Divinity  of  the  Father,  Son,  and  Holy  Ghost.  Arius 
denied  the  Divinity  of  the  Son,  Macedonius  the 
Divinity  of  the  Holy  Ghost.  At  Constantinople  in  381 
two  additions  were  made  to  the  old  Nicene  formula. 
The  clause,  of  whose  kingdom  there  shall  be  no  end, 
was  added  against  Marcellus  of  Ancyra,  who  denied 
that  Christ's  reign  would  continue  after  the  Day  of 
Judgment.  Again,  after  the  clause,  and  in  the  Holy 
Ghost,  the  words,  the  Lord  and  Life-giver  who 
proceedeth  from  the  Father  and  the  Son,  who 


THE  CREED. 


together  with  the  Father  and  the  Son,  were  added 
against  the  Macedonians  who  denied  the  Divinity  of 
the  Holy  Ghost.  The  famous  addition  of  the  Filioque, 
who  proceedeth  from  the  Father  and  the  Son,  was 
introduced  later  by  particular  churches.  About  1015 
Rome  itself  adopted  it.  This  brings  the  Creed  to  the 
shape  we  now  have  it  at  Mass. 

The  Credo  was  recited  or  sung  in  the  Roman  Mass 
at  the  beginning  of  the  eleventh  century  under 
Benedict  VIII.  (1012 — 1024).  In  the  Eastern  Church 
the  Credo  was  introduced  at  the  beginning  of  the  sixth. 


Credo  in  unum  Deum, 
Patrem  omnipotentem,  fac- 
torem  coeli  et  terrae  visibi- 
lium  omnium,  et  invisibilium. 
Et  in  unum  Dominum  Jesum 
Christum,  Filium  Dei  uni- 
genitum,  et  ex  Patre  natum 
ante  omnia  saecula.  Deum 
de  Deo ;  lumen  de  lumine ; 
Deum  verum  de  Deo  vero ; 
genitum  non  factum  ;  consub- 
stantialem  Patri,  per  quern 
omnia  facta  sunt.  Qui  propter 
nos  homines,  et  propter  nos- 
tram  salutem,  descendit  de 
coelis,  (Hie  genuflectitur.)  et 
incarnatus  est  de  Spiritu 
sancto  ex  Maria  Virgine : 
ET  HOMO  FACTUS  EST.  Cruci- 
fixus  etiam  pro  nobis :  sub 
Pontio  Pilato  passus  et  sepul- 
tus  est.  Et  resurrexit  tertia 
die  secundum  Scripturas;  et 
ascendit  in  coelum,  sedet  ad 
dexteram  Patris :  et  iterum 
venturus  est  cum  gloria  judi- 
care  vivos  et  mortuos:  cujus 
regni  non  erit  finis. 

Et  in  Spiritum  sanctum 
Dominum,  et  vivificantem. 


I  believe  in  one  God,  the 
Father  Almighty,  Maker  of 
heaven  and  earth,  and  of  all 
things  visible  and  invisible. 

And  in  one  Lord  Jesus 
Christ,  the  only-begotten  Son 
of  God,  born  of  the  Father 
before  all  ages.  God  of  God ; 
Light  of  Light;  true  God  of 
true  God :  begotten,  not  made ; 
consubstantial  with  theFather, 
by  whom  all  things  were  made. 
Who  for  us  men,  and  for  our 
salvation,  came  down  from 
heaven  (here  the  people  kneel 
down^ ,  and  was  incarnate  by 
the  Holy  Ghost  of  the  Virgin 
Mary:  AND  WAS  MADE  MAN. 
He  was  crucified  also  for  us, 
suffered  under  Pontius  Pilate, 
and  was  buried.  The  third 
day  He  rose  again  according 
to  the  Scriptures;  and  as- 
cended into  heaven,  and  sitteth 
at  the  right  hand  of  the  Father : 
and  He  shall  come  again 
with  glory  to  judge  both  the 
living  and  the  dead  ;  of  whose 
kingdom  there  shall  be  no  end. 

And  I  believe  in  the  Holy 
Ghost,  the  Lord  and  Life- 


86  THE   CREED. 


qui    ex    Patre   Filioque   pro-  giver,   who    proceedeth   from 

cedit :  qui  cum  Patre,  et  Filio  the  Father  and  the  Son  :  who 

simul   adoratur  et  conglorifi-  together  with  the  Father  and 

catur  :     qui    locutus   est   per  the  Son  is  adored  and  glori- 

Prophetas.   Et  unam  sanctam  fied ;  who  spake  by  the  pro- 

catholicam     et     apostolicam  phets.    And  one  holy  Catholic 

Ecclesiam.      Confiteor  unum  and  Apostolic  Church.    I  con- 

baptisma  in  remissionem  pec-  fess  one  baptism  for  the  remis- 

catorum.     Et  exspecto  resur-  sion  of  sins.     And  I  look  for 

rectionem       mortuorum,      et  the  resurrection  of  the  dead 

vitam  venturi  saeculi.    Amen,  and  the  life  of  the  world  to 

come.     Amen. 


EXPLANATION  OF  THE  NICENE  CREED. 


I  believe ;  believe  does  not  mean,  as  often  in  English, 
a  mere  expression  of  opinion  said  hesitatingly  and 
doubtfully;  believe  means  a  firm,  unhesitating,  abso- 
lutely certain  state  of  mind,  without  shadow  of  fear  or 
doubt,  because  the  belief  rests  on  the  word  of  God. 
In  one  God.  We  are  bound  to  believe  in  God,  infinite 
in  every  perfection,  containing  in  Himself  the  fulness 
of  every  conceivable  good :  hence  it  follows  there  is  only 
one  God — for  the  fulness  of  every  conceivable  perfection 
is  found  in  one  God  alone.  The  Father  Almighty. 
The  word  Father  in  the  Creed  leads  us  to  a  knowledge 
of  the  Trinity ;  there  cannot  be  a  Father  without  a 
Son ;  thus  we  are  obliged  to  acknowledge  the  Trinity 
in  which  there  is  a  distinction  of  person  with  one  and 
the  same  nature,  the  Son  is  generated  by  the  Father,  the 
Holy  Ghost  proceeds  necessarily  from  the  Father  and 
Son.  Almighty  means  that  God  can  do  everything 
which  is  not  repugnant  to  His  infinite  perfection. 
Almighty  is  the  name  most  frequently  applied  to  God  in 
Scripture.  The  thought  of  omnipotence  strengthens  more 
than  anything  else  our  faith,  hope,  and  confidence  in 
God.  Maker  here  is  the  same  as  Creator,  and  the  latter 


THE   CREED.  87 


signifies,  as  taught  by  the  Council  of  the  Vatican,  one 
who  makes  out  of  nothing,  that  is,  where  nothing  was, 
something  came  into  being  at  God's  command.  Of 
Heaven ;  this  includes  the  sun,  moon,  stars,  and  sky 
above;  the  words  and  earth  mean  this  planet  with 
everything  on  its  surface.  And  of  all  things  visible 
and  invisible ;  this  clause  explains  more  fully  Heaven 
and  earth — nothing  exists,  seen  or  unseen  in  earth  or 
Heaven,  neither  men  nor  angels,  which  has. not  been 
made  by  God.  He  made  the  demons  too:  not  as 
demons:  He  made  them  pure  spirits,  and  by  their  own 
sin  they  became  demons. 

And  (I  believe)  in  one  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  The 
Council  now  passes  on  to  condemn  Arius  by  distinctly 
defining  that  Christ  is  God.  Lord  expresses  our  belief 
in  the  sovereignty  of  Christ,  not  merely  as  God  but  also 
as  Man,  over  the  whole  world.  He  is  Lord  of  earth,  of 
angels  and  of  men.  Jesus  is  the  distinctive  name  oi 
Christ  as  God  and  Man — it  means  Saviour,  indicating 
His  office  according  to  the  Angel's  words  to  St.  Joseph : 
"  She  shall  bring  forth  a  Son  and  thou  shalt  call  His 
name  Jesus ;  for  (the  reason  of  the  name)  He  shall 
save  His  people  from  their  sins."  (St.  Matt.  i.  21.)  Christ 
means  anointed.  In  the  Old  Law  priests,  prophets,  and 
kings  were  anointed.  The  rite  is  used  in  the  Christian 
Church  when  priests  are  ordained  and  kings  are 
crowned. 

Christ  is  Priest,  Prophet,  and  King.  He  is 
anointed  not  with  oil  as  priests  and  kings,  but  with  the 
fulness  of  grace  poured  into  His  Soul  by  the  Holy 
Ghost.  The  Psalmist  says  of  Christ,  "  Thou  hast  loved 
justice  and  hated  iniquity :  therefore  God,  Thy  God 
hath  anointed  Thee  with  the  oil  of  gladness  above 
Thy  fellows."  (Psalm  xliv.  8.)  The  name  Christ  as  also 


R8  THE   CREED. 


the  name  Jesus  brings  before  us  the  two  natures  of  the 
Word  Incarnate.  Besides  the  anointing  of  the  Man 
Jesus  with  grace,  there  is  the  higher  anointing  with  the 
Divinity  whereby  especially  He  is  the  Messiah  long 
expected  by  the  nations.  Christ  is  a  Priest  not  by  sacra- 
mental rites.  His  Priesthood  began  with  His  Incarna- 
tion, and  it  was  completed  by  the  sacrifice  of  His  life 
on  Calvary.  The  best  description  of  that  Priesthood 
is  given  by  St.  Paul  in  the  Epistle  to  the  Hebrews. 

Christ  is  also  a  Prophet.  In  Scripture  prophet  does 
not  mean  exclusively  one  who  foretells  the  future.  It  is 
commonly  used  to  signify  a  teacher.  Christ  is  the  great 
Teacher  of  the  world,  from  Him  we  learn  the  Gospel 
that  leads  to  Heaven.  Before  the  coming  of  Christ,  of 
Him  prophets  spoke,  and  Christ  in  the  flesh  spoke  of 
His  Father.  Christ  is  King  not  only  as  God  but  as 
Man  and  as  sharer  of  our  nature.  "  He  shall  reign  in 
the  house  of  Jacob  for  ever  and  of  His  Kingdom  there 
shall  be  no  end."  (St.  Luke  i.  32,  33.)  His  Kingdom  is 
spiritual  and  for  everlasting.  It  began  on  earth  and 
will  be  perfected  at  His  second  coming,  when  the  whole 
world  shall  be  subject  to  Christ,  and  Christ  at  the  head 
of  His  elect  shall  as  Man  make  His  grand  act  of 
submission  to  His  Father  and  God  shall  be  all  in  all. 
(i  Cor.  xv.  28.) 

The  Only-begotten  Son  of  God.  The  Council 
refers  to  the  eternal  generation  of  Christ  from  His 
Father.  Christ  is  God,  says  the  Athanasian  Creed, 
begotten  before  time  from  the  substance  of  the  Father, 
born  of  the  Father  before  all  ages,  and  He  is  Man 
born  in  time  from  the  substance  of  His  Mother.  God 
of  God,  that  is,  God  begotten  of  God  ;  Light  of  Light, 
uncreated  Light  proceeding  everlastingly  from  un- 
created Light ;  true  God  of  true  God,  true  God 


THE  CREED.  89 


begotten  of  the  only  true  God  ;  begotten,  not  made, 
begotten  eternal  as  He  who  begets,  not  made  from 
substance  existing  before:  consubstantial  with  the 
Father,  the  same  substance  numerically  with  the  Father 
— Christ  has  one  and  the  same  nature,  essence,  substance 
as  the  Father.  By  whom  all  things  were  made.  The 
Father  is  said  to  create  through  the  Son  in  the  sense 
that  He  communicated  to  the  Son  the  essence  and 
power  wherewith  He  creates  along  with  the  Father. 

Who  for  us  men,  and  for  our  salvation,  by  these 
words  the  end  of  the  Incarnation  of  Jesus  Christ  is 
clearly  stated.  He  came  for  us  men  on  earth  not  to 
condemn  us  but  to  save  us.  Came  down  from 
Heaven  and  was  incarnate  by  the  Holy  Ghost. 
Christ  remaining  God  took  flesh  not  by  the  power  of 
man,  for  no  man  was  His  father,  but  by  the  power  of 
the  Holy  Ghost  miraculously,  of  the  Virgin  Mary. 
Mary  was  a  Virgin  in  her  miraculous  Conception,  a 
Virgin  in  the  miraculous  birth  of  her  Child,  and  a 
Virgin  after  birth  ;  always  a  Virgin,  as  the  Church  says 
—  semper  Virgo.  And  was  made  Man.  In  one 
sentence  here  is  the  whole  doctrine  of  the  Incarnation ; 
the  Divine  nature  in  Christ  was  not  made,  the  human 
was.  Christ  became,  what  He  was  not  before,  Man  with 
a  body  and  soul  like  ours.  Two  natures,  consequently 
divine  and  human,  in  one  Person. 

He  was  crucified  also  for  us.  By  these  words  was 
fulfilled  the  prophecy  of  our  Lord  in  St.  Matthew  xx. 
19,  "they  shall  deliver  Him  to  the  Gentiles  to  be  mocked 
and  scourged  and  crucified  "  for  us.  These  words  for 
us  must  not  be  forgotten  ;  "  He  loved  me  and  delivered 
Himself  up  for  me ;  "  suffered  under  Pontius  Pilate 
and  was  buried ;  suffered  refers  obviously  to  the  pains 
of  body  and  of  mind  which  our  Lord  bore  for  us  the 


THE  CREED. 


name  of  the  governor  is  added  to  impress  the  great 
truth  on  the  memory  of  the  faithful.  And  was  buried. 
The  Apostles'  Creed  says  dead  and  buried,  the  Nicene 
omits  dead.  The  death  of  the  Lord  is  plainly 
stated  in  the  fact  of  His  burial.  By  the  death  of 
Jesus  Christ  we  mean  that  the  blessed  Soul  of  out 
Lord,  to  which  the  Divinity  clung,  was  separated  from 
His  Body,  with  which  also  the  Divinity  remained 
inseparably  united.  He  took  a  body  capable  of  suffer- 
ing. He  died  from  violence,  but  when  He  chose  and 
as  He  chose.  He  allowed  violence  to  take  its  natural 
effect.  (See  His  own  words  in  St.  John  x.  1 7.)  The  Council 
adds  buried,  because  burial  is  the  strongest  proof  of 
death,  and  from  the  fact  of  Christ's  burial  the  miracle 
of  His  Resurrection  is  more  glorious  and  clear.  Christ's 
Body  in  the  tomb  could  not  suffer  corruption. 

And  the  third  day  He  rose  again  according  to 
the  Scriptures.  Christ  foretold  that  He  would  rise  again, 
not  vaguely  some  day,  but  the  third  day.  This  means  He 
was  in  the  tomb  a  part  of  Friday,  all  Saturday,  and  a 
part  of  Sunday ;  He  rose  again  by  His  own  power  and 
Divinity  ;  not  by  the  power  of  another,  as  Lazarus  and 
many  others  rose,  only  to  die  again ;  Christ  rose  to  die 
no  more;  "  Knowing  that  Christ  rising  again  from  the 
dead,  dieth  now  no  more,  death  shall  no  more  have 
dominion  over  Him."  (Romans  vi.  9.)  On  the  Resur- 
rection rests  the  whole  truth  of  Christianity.  By  that 
fact  Christ  and  His  Church  stand  or  fall ;  the  Council 
adds  according  to  the  Scriptures,  the  inspired  word 
has  taught  this  great  article  of  Faith.  And  ascended 
into  Heaven  and  sitteth  at  the  right  hand  of  the 
Father.  The  work  of  redemption  over,  Christ  as  Man, 
Body  and  Soul,  ascended  into  Heaven  not  merely  by  the 
power  of  the  Divinity,  but  by  the  power  granted  to  His 


THE   CREED. 


glorious  Soul  to  raise  His  Body  to  Heaven  forty  days 
after  His  Resurrection ;  Christ  is  said  to  sit  as  a 
monarch  on  His  Throne — on  the  right,  holding  as  Man 
the  place  of  honour  next  His  Father — who  set  Him 
on  His  right  hand  in  the  heavenly  places.  (Ephes.  i.  20.) 

And  He  shall  come  again  with  glory  to  judge 
both  the  living  and  the  dead.  So  far  the  Creed  has 
spoken  of  our  Lord's  redemption  of  the  human  race, 
and  of  His  ascent  to  Heaven  that  He  may  intercede  ;  it 
now  defines  His  judgment  of  the  world  on  the  last  day. 
The  first  coming  of  our  Saviour  was  in  humiliation  as  a 
Babe  in  Bethlehem,  the  second  will  be  in  glory.  He  is 
to  judge,  Christ  judges  the  world  as  God  and  Man  (see 
St.  John  v.  26),  "and  He  (the  Father)  hath  given  Him 
authority  to  execute  judgment  because  He  is  the  Son 
of  Man."  These  words  of  St.  John  mean  that  the  judicial 
power  like  the  priestly  power  is  a  portion  of  and  in- 
separable from  our  Lord's  human  nature.  Quia 
(because)  in  the  Vulgate  might  more  correctly  be  qua- 
temis  (inasmuch  as  He  is  the  Son  of  Man).  The  living 
and  the  dead — by  the  living  is  meant  those  who  are 
alive  at  the  second  coming.  They  will  die  and  rise 
again.  The  dead  at  the  second  coming  will  also  rise 
again.  All  born  of  Adam  will  die  and  rise  again.  Oi 
whose  kingdom  there  shall  be  no  end.  These 
words  proclaim  that  Christ's  reign  as  Man  is  to  con- 
tinue after  the  last  day.  Our  Lord's  Kingdom  shall 
last  for  ever  and  ever. 

And  (I  believe)  in  the  Holy  Ghost  the  Lord  and 
Life-giver.  The  Council  after  defining  the  Divinity  of 
the  Father  and  of  the  Son — the  same  in  nature,  distinct 
in  person — proceeds  to  define  the  Divinity  of  the  Holy 
Ghost.  The  Macedonian  heretics  denied  that  the  Holy 
Ghost  was  God,  equal  to  and  of  the  same  substance  as 


92  THE   CREED. 


the  Father  and  the  Son.  They  held  that  the  Holy  Ghost 
was  a  creature  like  the  angels,  and  a  servant  of  the 
Father  and  the  Son.  The  very  fact  that  belief  in  the 
Holy  Ghost  is  placed  on  the  same  level  as  belief  in 
the  Father  and  the  Son  implies  the  Divinity  of  all  three 
Persons.  The  Holy  Ghost  is  called  Lord  as  having  the 
same  nature  and  therefore  the  same  authority  as  the 
Father  and  the  Son:  life-giver  means  Sanctifier.  Grace 
is  the  true  life  of  the  soul,  and  all  gifts  of  grace  are 
attributed  to  the  Holy  Ghost.  We  speak  of  the  Holy 
Ghost  as  the  Sanctifier,  because  that  work  of  love  is 
attributed  with  special  fitness  to  Him  who  proceeds 
from  the  mutual  love  of  the  Father  and  Son,  who  pro- 
ceedeth  from  the  Father  and  the  Son.  The  Catholic 
Doctrine  teaches  that  the  Second  Person  proceeds  from 
the  First,  and  the  Third  from  the  First  and  the  Second 
by  way  of  Communication  of  one  and  the  same  nature. 
The  introduction  of  the  Filioque  into  the  Creed  seems 
to  have  been  first  adopted  in  Spain.  It  is  known  to 
have  been  in  use  as  early  as  589  and  possibly  a  century 
earlier.  Rome,  as  we  have  seen,  adopted  the  test-word 
Filioque  about  1015,  and  it  has  ever  since  been  in 
regular  use  in  the  Western  Church.  By  the  Council  of 
Florence  it  was  defined  that  this  addition,  Filioque,  was 
"  lawfully  and  reasonably  "  made  to  the  Creed.  Who 
together  with  the  Father  and  the  Son  is  adored  and 
glorified  :  the  Council  in  these  words  again  teaches  the 
Divinity  of  the  Holy  Ghost.  If  one  and  the  same  act 
of  adoration  be  paid  to  the  Holy  Ghost  as  to  the  Father 
and  the  Son,  the  Holy  Ghost  is  God  as  much  as  the 
Father  and  the  Son.  Who  spake  by  the  Prophets; 
the  duty  of  the  Prophets  was  to  foretell  the  coming  of 
Christ  and  to  teach  Divine  truth — they  were  inspired 
by  God,  and  the  Holy  Ghost  as  the  Spirit  of  truth 


THE   CREED. 


spoke  through  them — the  Prophets  were  the  mouth- 
piece of  the  Holy  Ghost. 

And  (I  believe)  in  one  holy  Catholic  and  Apostolic 
Church  :  one  having  one  head,  the  Pope,  and  one  in  its 
Doctrine  the  wide  world  over  —  the  doctrine  never 
changes,  never  increases  or  decreases,  our  knowledge 
of  that  doctrine  grows  wider  and  fuller  with  time  and 
does  actually  increase.  The  Church  is  one  also  in  unity 
of  worship — for  all  recognize  that  the  supreme  act  of 
worship  is  the  Holy  Sacrifice  of  the  Mass  offered  by  a 
Priest,  who  holds  authority  to  celebrate  from  a  Bishop 
in  communion  with  the  Holy  See,  and  the  names  of  the 
reigning  Pope  and  of  the  Bishop  of  the  Diocese  are 
mentioned  in  the  Canon  of  each  Mass.  The  rite  of  the 
Mass  differs,  the  oneness  of  the  Sacrifice  is  ever  the 
same.  The  difference  in  rite  is  permitted  by  the  Pope. 
The  Church  is  one  in  government  in  this  sense  that  all 
Bishops  receive  power  to  rule  their  Diocese  from  the 
Pope,  to  whom  at  stated  times  they  render  an  account 
of  the  flock  entrusted  to  their  care.  The  Church  is  holy 
in  its  Founder  Jesus  Christ,  in  its  doctrine,  and  children, 
many  of  whom  in  every  age  are  Saints,  that  is,  lead  lives 
conspicuous  in  virtue  over  the  lives  of  such  as  merely 
keep  the  Ten  Commandments.  Saints  are  heroes.  They 
are  the  V.C's.  and  much  more  in  the  army  of  the  Lord. 

Catholic  means  universal,  and  universal  implies  that 
the  Church  must  subsist  in  all  ages,  teach  all  nations, 
and  maintain  all  truths.  The  mission  of  the  Church  is  to 
all  men  without  exception:  "Going  therefore,"  says  our 
Lord  in  St. Matthew,  "teach  all  nations,"  in  St.  Mark, 
"  Preach  the  Gospel  to  every  creature  " — the  Church  is 
never  limited  to  country  or  race.  She  must  be  ever  con- 
spicuous among  Christian  communities  by  numbers  and 
influence.  She  is  for  every  place  and  for  every  man. 


94  THE  CREED. 


She  must  teach  all  her  Master's  doctrine,  inculcate 
all  His  precepts,  and  use  all  His  Sacraments.  She 
must  be  ready  to  explain  and  defend  her  doctrine 
against  attack,  and  she  must  at  any  time  and  at  any 
place  furnish  all  that  is  requisite  for  the  Salvation  of 
men.  "  Were  she  to  withhold  anything  necessary  for 
Salvation,  she  would  be  false  to  her  mission."  (See 
Father  Gerard's  Religious  Instruction,  p.  80.) 

The  Church  is  Apostolic  because,  in  the  words  of 
the  Catechism,  "  She  holds  the  doctrines  and  traditions 
of  the  Apostles,  and  because,  through  the  unbroken 
succession  of  her  Pastors,  she  derives  her  Orders  and 
her  Mission  from  them."  Orders  confer  supernatural 
powers — as  of  Ordaining,  Consecrating,  and  Absolving, 
&c.,  and  Mission  gives  the  right  to  exercise  these 
powers.  True  Orders  do  not  of  themselves  prove  the 
true  Church.  Apostolic  Mission  is  also  required.  In 
the  Catholic  Church  we  find  both  Orders  and  Mission. 
She  is  therefore  the  one  true  Church. 

I  confess  one  Baptism  for  the  remission  of 
sins.  Baptism  can  be  validly  administered  by  any  one, 
be  he  Catholic,  Anglican,  Methodist,  or  Jew  ;  but  by 
whomsoever  administered  there  is  only  one  Baptism, 
which  our  Lord  instituted  of  water  and  the  Holy  Ghost. 
For  the  remission  of  sins  :  Baptism  remits  the  guilt 
and  punishment  of  any  sin  great  and  small  repented  of 
and  admits  the  soul,  who  dies  immediately  after  that 
Sacrament  has  been  conferred,  straight  to  Heaven. 
No  man  sees  God  face  to  face  in  Heaven  without 
Baptism  or  the  desire  of  it ;  the  latter  is  contained  in 
an  act  of  perfect  sorrow  or  perfect  love  of  God.1 

And  I  look  for  the  resurrection  of  the  dead — we 

1  Baptism  by  blood  or  martyrdom  also  opens  Heaven  to  souls  : 
only  Baptism  by  water  makes  us  members  of  the  Body  of  the  Church. 


THE    CREED.  95 


are  said  to  look  for  what  we  are  anxious  to  have,  the 
resurrection  of  the  body  is  human  nature's  greatest 
triumph  through  the  power  of  God.  By  the  resurrection 
is  meant  we  shall  all  rise  again  with  the  same  bodies  we 
had  before  death — though  in  what  the  sameness  con- 
sists has  not  been  denned  by  the  Church.  Men  shall 
be  men  and  women  shall  be  women.  "  The  body  shall 
be  the  same  but  changed."  (See  St.  Paul's  magnificent 
description  in  i  Cor.  xv.)  And  the  life  of  the  world 
to  come ;  the  future  life  which  we  are  said  in  the 
Creed  to  look  for  is  summed  up  in  one  word, 
Beatitude,  a  state,  according  to  theologians,  perfect  in 
the  possession  of  everything  that  is  good. 


QUESTIONS    ON   CHAPTER  XII. 

1.  What  is   meant  by  the  word   Gospel  ?     Explain  the 
allusion  to  the  burning  coal  in  the  Munda  cor  ineum. 

2.  Describe  the  rubrics  observed  in  the  reading  of  the 
Gospel. 

3.  When   should   the    congregation   kneel   at    Low    Mass 
according  to  the  Rubric  in  the  Roman  Missal  ? 

4.  When  is  the  Credo  said  ?     What  additions  have  been 
made  to  it  since  the  Council  of  Nice — and  why? 

5.  Explain  the  following  words   in  the    Nicene    Creed — 
Maker,  only  begotten  Son,  God  of  God,  Light  of  light,  God  of  God, 
consubstantial,  by  whom  all  things  were  made,  was  made  man,  the 
third  day  He  rose  again,  He  shall  come  to  judge  the  living  and  the 
dead,  the  Holy   Ghost  Lord  and  Life-giver,  who  proceeds  from 
the  Father  and  the  Son:  one,  holy,  Catholic,  Apostolic  Church; 
resurrection  of  the  dead. 

6.  Explain  the  introduction  of  the  Filicque  clause  into  the 
Creed. 


CHAPTER   the   THIRTEENTH. 


PART  THE  SECOND. 
The  Offertory  to  the  Canon. 


THE    OFFERTORY. 

THE  Offertory  is  an  Antiphon.  It  originally  consisted 
of  an  antiphon  and  psalm,  which  used  to  be  sung  while 
the  faithful  made  their  offerings  of  bread  and  wine  for 
the  Mass,  or  of  gifts  for  the  use  of  the  clergy.  The 
offerings  of  bread  and  wine  for  the  Mass  by  the  faithful 
began  to  fall  into  disuse  about  the  year  1000,  the  psalm 
was  dropped,  but  the  Antiphon  and  its  name  are  still 
retained. 

At  the  Offertory  we  see  the  oblation  of  bread  and 
wine  by  the  priest,  made  after  the  recitation  of  the 
antiphon  just  mentioned.  The  Church  does  not  really 
offer  bread  and  wine  absolutely  and  in  themselves,  the 
Church  offers  them  that  Christ  may  convert  them  into 
His  own  Body  and  Blood. 

The  antiphon  at  the  Offertory,  or  as  the  Missal 
terms  it,  "the  Offertory,"  has  no  necessary  con- 
nection with  the  oblation  which  it  precedes.  Thus, 
on  the  Fourth  Sunday  in  Advent,  the  Offertory  is 
the  first  part  of  the  Hail  Mary.  The  Offertory  varies 


THE    OFFERTORY.  97 


with  the  season  and  feast,  and  is  closely  connected  with 
the  Introit,  Gradual,  and  Communion. 

The  things  offered  are  bread  and  wine.  Both  are  by 
the  institution  of  Jesus  Christ.  The  bread  used  in  the 
Latin  Church  is  made  of  flour  and  water  without  yeast, 
that  is,  unleavened  bread.  In  the  Greek  Church  the  old 
custom  of  using  leavened  bread  is  still  preserved.  Wine, 
according  to  the  Council  of  Florence,  from  the  grape 
alone  can  be  used  ;  thus  gooseberry  wine  is  invalid. 

By  the  precept  of  the  Church  at  least  a  drop  of 
water,  aqua  modicissima,  says  the  Council  of  Florence,  is 
mixed  with  the  wine.  The  Council  of  Trent  teaches 
(Sess.  xxii.  c.  7)  that  the  Church  orders  a  drop  or  two  of 
water  to  be  mingled  with  the  wine  before  Consecration, 
because  our  Lord  is  believed  to  have  mingled  water 
with  wine  at  the  Last  Supper,  as  also  because  the 
mixture  of  wine  and  water  represents  the  Blood  and 
Water  which  flowed  from  His  Side  after  Death. 

The  five  prayers  used  at  the  oblation  of  bread  and 
wine  are  of  comparatively  recent  date,  about  the 
thirteenth  century.  The  great  oblation  of  Christ's  Body 
and  Blood  must  be  carefully  distinguished  from  the 
Offertory  or  anticipatory  oblation  of  bread  and  wine. 
The  oblation  is  neither  an  essential  nor  an  integral 
portion  of  the  Sacrifice ;  it  is  not  necessary  for  its 
completeness.  The  oblation  is  a  religious  ceremony 
instituted  by  the  Church  to  excite  the  reverence  and 
devotion  of  the  faithful  towards  the  great  mystery  to 
be  accomplished,  while  it  is  the  appropriation  of  the 
bread  and  wine  to  the  special  service  of  God. 

I  proceed  to  explain  these  five  prayers.     The  priest 
raising  his  eyes  to  the  crucifix  and  afterwards  fixing 
them  on  the  bread  lying  on  the  paten  which  he  holds 
in  his  hands,  says : 
H 


98  THE   OFFERTORY. 

Suscipe,  sancte  Pater,  omni-  Accept,  O  holy  Father,  al- 

potens    aeterne     Deus,   hanc  mighty,  eternal  God,  this  im- 

immaculatam  Hostiam,  quam  maculate  Host,  which  I,  Thy 

ego    indignus     famulus    tuus  unworthy  servant,  offer  unto 

offero  tibi    Deo   meo  vivo  et  Thee,  my  living  and  true  God. 

vero,     pro      innumerabilibus  for   mine     innumerable     sins 

peccatis  et    offensionibus,  et  and      offences,     and      negli- 

negligentiis      meis,      et     pro  gences,    and     for     all     here 

omnibus  circumstantibus,  sed  present ;    as  also  for  all  faith- 

etpro  omnibus  fidelibus  Chris-  ful  Christians,  both  living  and 

tianis  vivis  atque  defunctis  ;  dead,  that  it  may  be  profitable 

ut  mihi,   et  illis  proficiat  ad  for  mine  own   and  for  their 

salutem   in   vitam    aeternam.  salvation    unto    life    eternal. 

Amen.  Amen. 

EXPLANATION  OF  THE  PRAYER. 


Accept,  O  holy  Father,  to  God  the  Father,  the 
Sacrifice  of  His  Son  is  offered,  not  to  the  Blessed  Virgin, 
nor  to  Saint,  or  Angel — to  the  Father  from  whom  all 
paternity  descends :  Almighty,  the  epithet  is  very 
suitable,  since  the  Sacrifice  of  the  Mass  is  to  show 
God's  supreme  dominion  and  power  over  all  creatures, 
eternal,  is  the  attribute  of  the  true  God  only,  who  always 
was,  is,  and  always  will  be;  this  immaculate  Host,  the 
bread  by  anticipation  is  called  the  Spotless  Host — • 
"receive,"  says  Benedict  XIV.  (Bk.  ii.  c.  x.  n.  2)  on  the 
Mass,  "this  Spotless  Host  into  Whom  this  bread  is  soon 
to  be  converted,"  which  I,  Thy  unworthy  servant, 
offer  unto  Thee,  my  living  and  true  God,  God  is  the 
source  of  all  life,  without  Him  only  death ;  for  mine 
innumerable  sins,  mortal  and  venial,  which  the  priest 
may  have  committed  by  thought,  word,  deed,  and 
omission  ;  offences  are  involuntary  faults  which, 
through  human  weakness  one  commits,  which  with 
greater  care  might  be  avoided.  You  hurt  your  foot  by 
knocking  against  the  table;  take  greater  care  not  to 
knock  against  the  table  and  you  will  not  hurt  your  foot. 


THE  OFFERING   OF  THE  CHALICE.  99 


And  negligences,  such  as  want  of  purity  of  inten- 
tion, want  of  correspondence  with  the  special  grace  God 
gives  His  priest,  which  mars  the  beauty  of  an  action. 
And  for  all  here  present ;  the  Mass  is  offered  for 
all  present  in  a  special  way,  because  the  congregation 
assisting  at  Mass  gain  more  abundant  fruit  from  the 
Sacrifice.  For  all  faithful  Christians,  the  Mass  is 
offered  too,  for  the  members  of  the  true  Church  in  the 
first  place,  and  for  all  the  baptized  who  serve  God 
outside  the  body  of  the  Church  according  to  their  con- 
science ;  living  and  dead,  on  earth  and  in  Purgatory, 
that  it  may  be  profitable  for  mine  own  and  for  their 
salvation  unto  life  eternal.  Amen. 

Then  making  the  sign  of  the  Cross  with  the  paten,  the 
Priest  places  the  Host  upon  the  corporal. 

THE  OFFERING   OF  THE  CHALICE. 


The  Chalice  is  offered  to  God  the  Father  in  the  same 
way  as  the  Host,  because  to  Him  the  Sacrifice  is  offered. 

The  priest  pours  wine  into  the  chalice,  and  by  the 
command  of  the  Church  adds  a  drop  or  two  of  water, 
having  previously  blessed  it  with  the  sign  of  the  Cross. 
The  wine  is  said  to  represent  Jesus  Christ  and  the 
water  the  people.  The  wine  is  not  blessed,  since  it  will 
soon  be  changed  into  the  Blood  of  Christ  at  the  Con- 
secration; the  sign  of  the  Cross  is  made  over  the  water, 
as  representing  the  people  who  need  to  be  blessed  before 
they  are  united  with  Jesus  Christ.  The  mingling  of 
water  with  wine  is  also  said  to  represent  the  union  of  the 
people  with  Jesus  Christ  (Council  of  Trent,  Sess.  xxii.  c.  7.) 

Deus,  qui  humanae  sub-  O  God,  who,  in  creating 
Btantiae  dignitatem  mirabi-  human  nature,  didst  wonder- 
liter  condidisti,  et  mirabilius  fully  dignify  it,  and  hast  still 


zoo  THE   OFFERING    OF  THE    CHALICE. 

reformasti :  da  nobis  per  hujus  more  wonderfully  renewed  it ; 

aquae     et    vini     mysterium,  grant  that,  by  the  mystery  of 

ejus  divinitatis  esse  consortes,  this    Water    and    Wine,    we 

qui  humanitatis  nostrae  fieri  may  be  made  partakers  of  His 

dignatus  est  particeps,  Jesus  Divinity,  who  vouchsafed  to 

Christus  Filius  tuus  Dominus  become  partaker  of  our  huma- 

noster :    qui    tecum    vivit    et  nity,  Jesus  Christ,  Thy  Son, 

regnat     in     unitate    Spiritus  our   Lord ;    who    liveth    and 

sanctiDeus:peromniasaecula  reigneth    with   Thee    in    the 

saeculorum.     Amen.  unity  of,  &c. 

EXPLANATION  OF  THE  PRAYER  IN  MINGLING  THE 
WATER  WITH  THE  WINE. 


The  drift  of  the  prayer  is  that  we  may  be  sharers 
in  the  divine  nature,  according  to  these  words  of 
St.  Peter  (2  i.  4) :  "  by  whom  He  hath  given  us 
most  great  and  precious  promises :  that  by  these  you 
may  be  made  partakers  of  the  divine  nature."  By 
sanctifying  grace  we  become  the  adopted  children  of 
God,  and  are  most  closely  united  to  Him.  We  ask 
the  grace  by  the  mystery  of  this  water  and  wine, 
that  is,  by  the  Passion  and  Death  of  our  Saviour,  when 
blood  and  water  flowed  from  His  side,  and  He  as  Man 
satisfied  for  us,  began  and  perfected  the  work  of  our 
redemption. 

Then  the  priest,  having  moved  to  the  middle  of  the 
altar,  takes  the  Chalice  by  the  knob  in  one  hand  and 
with  the  other  supporting  the  foot,  holds  it  about  the 
height  of  his  eyes,  and  fixing  them  on  the  crucifix,  says  : 

Offerimus  tibi  Domine  cali-  We  offer  unto  Thee,  O  Lord, 

cem    salutaris    tuam    depre-  the  Chalice  of  salvation,  be- 

cantes  clementiam  ;  ut  in  con-  seeching  Thy  Clemency,  that, 

spectudivinae  Majestatistuae,  in   the   sight   of   Thy   divine 

pro   nostra,   et  totius   mundi  Majesty,  it  may  ascend  with 

salute  cum   odore   suavitatis  the  odour  of  sweetness,   for 

ascendat.     Amen.  our  salvation,  and  for  that  of 

the  whole  world.     Amen. 


THE  OFFERING   OF  THE  CHALICE 


EXPLANATION  OF  THE  PRAYER  IN  OFFERING  THE  CHALICE. 


We  offer  unto  Thee,  O  Lord,  the  Chalice  of 
salvation — the  words  "  chalice  of  salvation  "  are  taken 
from  the  H5th  Psalm — they  refer,  by  anticipation, 
to  the  Blood  in  the  Chalice,  after  the  Consecration, 
shed  for  our  salvation,  just  as  in  the  Offering  of  the 
Host,  "  Spotless  Host,"  refers,  by  anticipation,  to- 
the  Consecrated  Host,  beseeching  Thy  clemencyr 
that  in  the  sight  of  Thy  Divine  Majesty  it  may 
ascend  with  the  odour  of  sweetness  for  our  sal- 
vation and  for  that  of  the  whole  world,  for  not 
merely  upon  Catholics  but  upon  the  whole  world, 
graces  descend  through  the  power  of  the  Mass. 

Why,  it  may  be  asked,  does  the  priest  say  "we" 
offer  and  not  "  I  "  offer  ?  Because  at  Solemn  Mass  or 
High  Mass  the  assisting  deacon  joins  with  the  priest  in 
offering  the  chalice.  The  Church  has  only  one  liturgy, 
and  its  form  supposes  that  more  solemn  celebration  of 
High  Mass,  which  is  dearer  to  her  heart.  Low  Mass 
differs  from  High  Mass  chiefly  in  omissions. 

The  priest  then  makes  the  sign  of  the  Cross  with 
the  chalice,  places  it  upon  the  corporal,  and  covers  it 
with  the  pall.  Then  with  his  hands  joined  upon  the 
altar,  and  slightly  bowing  down,  he  says : 

In  spiritu  humilitatis,  et  in  In   the   spirit   of    humility, 

animo  contrite  suscipiamur  a  and  with  a  contrite  heart,  let 

te,  Doniine :  et  sic  fiat  sacri-  us   be   received   by   Thee,   O 

ficium  nostrum  in  conspectu  Lord ;    and    grant    that    the 

tuo    hodie,    ut    placeat    tibi,  Sacrifice  we  offer  in  Thy  sight 

Domine  Deus.  this  day  may  be  pleasing  to 

Thee,  O  Lord  God. 

This  prayer  is  more  or  less  modelled  on  the  prayer 
of  the  three  children  in  the  fiery  furnace  as  given  in 
Daniel,  third  chapter,  vv.  39,  40.  They  walked  in  the 
midst  of  the  flames  praising  God,  refusing  to  adore  the 


THE    VENI  SANCTIFICATOR. 


golden  statue  set  up  by  Nabuchodonosor.  They  offered 
their  bodies  as  victims  to  obtain  mercy  for  themselves 
and  others.  The  priest  with  contrite  heart  offers  the 
Sacrifice  for  the  sins  of  the  world.  Next,  the  priest 
raising  his  eyes  and  stretching  out  his  hands,  which  he 
afterwards  joins,  makes  the  sign  of  the  Cross  over  the 
Host  and  Chalice  while  he  says  : 

Veni     Sanctificator     omni-  Come,  O  Sanctifier,  almighty 

potens  aeterne  Deus :  et  be-  eternal  God,  and  bless»J.this 

ne-^dic    hoc    sacrificium  tuo  Sacrifice,    prepared    to    Thy 

sancto  nomini  praeparatum.  holy  Name. 

EXPLANATION  OF  THE  PRAYER  Veni  Sanctificator. 


This  invocation  is  addressed  to  the  Holy  Ghost,  in 
the  language  of  the  Church,  the  Holy  Ghost  is  called 
the  Sanctifier,  and  to  Him  the  work  of  sanctification  is 
specially  attributed.  Thus  we  speak  of  the  seven  gifts 
not  of  the  Father  and  Son,  but  of  the  Holy  Ghost :  all 
meant  for  our  sanctification.  The  word  "  bless  "  has 
various  meanings.  It  may  mean  a  prayer  as  of  a 
father  over  his  child — God  bless  you,  which  may  not 
take  effect.  God's  blessing  carries  infallibly  virtue  with 
it.  The  priest  in  blessing  and  in  sanctifying  by  the  sign 
of  the  Cross  the  bread  and  wine  on  the  altar  begs  the 
presence  under  their  species  of  the  Lamb  of  God,  and 
implores  of  the  Holy  Ghost  transubstantiation,  which 
is  God's  greatest  work. 

The  priest  with  his  hands  joined  goes  to  the  Epistle 
side  of  the  altar,  where  he  washes  his  fingers,  and 
recites  a  portion  of  the  25th  Psalm. 

The  washing  of  the  fingers  is  the  sign  of  the  perfect 
cleansing  of  the  heart  required  for  the  worthy  celebra- 
tion of  the  Holy  Mass. 

The  tips  of  the  fingers,  the  thumb  and  forefinger, 


EXPLANATION   OF   THE   LAV  ABO.  103 

which  at  his  ordination  were  consecrated  for  the  offering 
of  the  adorable  Sacrifice,  and  not  the  hands,  are  washed 
to  express  that  the  priest  should  be  clean  wholly  even 
from  small  faults  (see  St.  John  xiii.  10).  The  Lavabo, 
that  is,  the  verses  from  the  25th  Psalm,  run  thus : 

1.  I  will  wash  my  hands  among  the  innocent:   and 
will  encompass  Thy  altar,  O  Lord. 

2.  That  I  may  hear  the  voice  of  praise,  and  tell  of 

all  Thy  marvellous  works. 

3.  I  have  loved,  O  Lord,  the  beauty  of  Thy  house 
and  the  place  where  Thy  glory  dwelleth. 

4.  Take  not  away  my  soul,  O  God,  with  the  wicked, 
nor  my  life  with  bloody  men. 

5.  In  whose  hands  are  iniquities :  their  right  hand 
is  filled  with  gifts. 

6.  As    for   me,    I    have   walked   in   my   innocence: 
redeem  me  and  have  mercy  on  me. 

7.  My  foot   hath  stood  in  the  right   path :   in  the 
churches  I  will  bless  Thee,  O  Lord. 

Glory  be  to  the  Father,  &c. 

EXPLANATION  OF  THE  Lavabo. 


David's  prayer  to  be  delivered  from  exile  and  to 
worship  God  in  His  tabernacle  is  placed  by  the  Church 
in  the  mouth  of  the  priest.  In  the  first  verse  David 
alludes  to  a  custom  among  the  Jews,  who  before 
entering  into  the  Tabernacle  purified  themselves 
and  the  victims  they  offered,  and  this  external  washing 
is  the  sign  of  internal  purity.  David  says,  I  will 
wash  my  hands  among  the  innocent,  as  a  sign 
of  real  inward  purity,  as  an  innocent  person  would 
wash  them  ;  and  not  with  the  hypocrites,  who  do  so 
with  clean  hands  and  unclean  hearts. 


104  SUSCIPE   SANCTA    TRINITAS. 


Such  verses  as  I  will  wash  my.  hands  among: 
the  innocent,  and  as  for  me,  I  have  walked  in  my 
innocence  (v.  6),  in  no  sense  deny  that  the  priest  is 
a  sinner.  These  words  have  no  boastful  tone — for  the 
priest  adds,  redeem  me  and  have  mercy  on  me. 
There  is  a  true  sense  in  which  every  priest  striving  to 
serve  God  may  use  the  words,  "  I  have  walked  in  my 
innocence."  The  priesthood  is  a  state  of  innocence 
secured  by  its  obligations  against  many  forms  of  evil. 
The  priest  speaks  more  or  less  in  the  name  of  his  order. 
The  priesthood  has  a  multitude  of  graces  to  secure 
it  from  sin,  and  the  language  of  David,  a  penitent 
sinner,  in  the  mouth  of  the  priest  from  the  knowledge 
it  implies  of  the  priestly  state  and  of  what  a  priest 
ought  to  be,  fills  any  priest  with  a  humbling  sense 
of  his  unworthiness  for  such  an  exalted  position. 

Returning  to  the  middle  of  the  altar  and  bowing 
slightly  with  hands  joined,  to  imitate,  as  St.  Thomas 
says,  the  humility  and  obedience  of  Jesus  Christ,  the 
priest  says : 

Suscipe,    sancta     Trinitas,  Receive,  O  holy  Trinity,  this 

hanc   oblationem,   quam    tibi  oblation,  which  we    make  to 

offerimus  ob  memoriam  pas-  Thee,  in  memory  of  the  Pas- 

sionis,   resurrectionis,   et    as-  sion,  Resurrection,  and  Ascen- 

censionis  Jesu  Christi  Domini  sion  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,, 

nostri :    et  in  honorem  beatae  and  in  honour  of  the  blessed 

Mariae    semper    Virginis,    et  Mary  ever  a  Virgin,  of  blessed 

beati    Joannis    Baptistae,    et  John   Baptist,  the  holy  Apos- 

sanctorum  Apostolorum  Petri  ties  Peter  and   Paul,  of  these 

et  Pauli,  et  istorum,  et   om-  and  of  all  the  Saints :   that  it 

nium     Sanctorum :      ut    illis  may   be     available    to     their 

proficiat   ad    honorem,   nobis  honour  and  our  salvation :  and 

autem  ad  salutem :  et  illi  pro  that   they   may  vouchsafe  to- 

nobis    intercedere    dignentur  intercede   for    us    in   heaven, 

in  coelis,  quorum  memoriam  whose   memory  we  celebrate 

agimus  in  terris.  Per  eumdem  on  earth.     Through  the  same 

Christum  Dominum  nostrum.  Christ  our  Lord.     Amen. 
Amen. 


THE  ORATE  FRATRES.  IO5 


EXPLANATION  OF  THE  PRAYER  Suscipe  sancta  Trinitas. 


This  prayer  clearly  brings  out  certain  points  of 
doctrine.  The  preceding  prayers  of  the  Offertory  are 
addressed  to  the  Father  and  Holy  Ghost — this  prayer 
to  the  three  persons  of  the  Godhead,  to  whom  alone 
and  not  to  the  Blessed  Virgin  or  the  Saints  the  Sacrifice 
of  the  Mass  is  offered.  Sacrifice  is  (i)  the  supreme  act 
of  worship  to  God  alone.  The  offering  is  in  memory  of 
the  Passion,  for  the  Eucharist,  especially  in  the  double 
Consecration  of  bread  and  wine,  is  a  memorial  of  His 
Death  ;  (2)  in  memory  of  the  Resurrection,  for  the 
immortal  body  of  Jesus  Christ  is  consecrated ;  (3)  in 
memory  of  the  Ascension,  for  Christ  who  died  for  us 
and  rose  again  in  the  same  Body  which  lies  in  the 
Eucharist,  has  ascended  into  Heaven  to  intercede  for 
us.  The  Sacrifice  is  offered  in  honour  of  our  Lady  and 
the  Saints  ;  not  to  them,  and  the  motive  is  that  our 
Lady  and  the  Saints  may  intercede  for  us  in  Heaven. 
In  honouring  His  Mother  and  the  Saints  we  honour 
our  Lord  in  His  best  friends. 


Next  the  priest  kisses  the  altar  as  a  sign  of  affection 
for  the  relics  of  the  Saints  buried  there  and  much  more 
for  our  Lord,  and  turning  towards  the  people,  extending 
and  joining  his  hands,  he  raises  his  voice  a  little  and 
says : 

Brethren,  pray  that  my  Sacrifice  and  yours 
may  be  acceptable  to  God  the  Father  Almighty. 

"  Brethren  "  is  used  without  distinction  of  sex.  The 
human  race  after  Baptism  is  one  family,  we  are  baptized 
children  of  God,  we  are  strengthened  by  the  same 
Sacraments,  fed  by  the  same  food,  call  God  our  Father, 


io6  THE   SECRET. 


and  are  destined  for  the  same  reward.  The  answer  of 
the  server  is  as  follows  : 

May  our  Lord  receive  the  Sacrifice  from  thy 
hands,  to  the  praise  and  glory  of  His  name,  to 
our  benefit,  and  to  that  of  all  His  holy  Church. 

The  priest  answers  in  a  low  voice  Amen,  and  with 
outstretched  hands  recites  the  Secret  prayers. 


THE    SECRET. 


The  Secret  is  so-called  because  the  prayers  are 
said  in  a  low  voice  inaudible  to  the  people. 

The  number  of  the  Secrets  is  the  same  as  that  of 
the  Collects. 

The  difference  between  the  Collect  and  Secret  is 
that  the  Collect  is  a  special  prayer  to  God  or  relates 
to  the  feast  of  the  day  without  reference  to  the  Sacrifice 
at  all.  The  Secrets  are  in  keeping  with  the  name 
originally  given  to  them,  prayers  over  the  offerings 
(pvationes  super  oblata).  In  the  Offertory  we  ask  God  to 
accept,  bless,  sanctify,  and  consecrate  the  gifts  offered, 
in  the  Secret  we  implore  of  Him  the  graces  we  require, 
as  in  a  certain  sense  the  fruit  or  effect  of  the  offerings 
made.  Thus,  in  the  Secret  for  Pentecost,  we  read : 
Sanctify,  we  beg  of  Thee,  O  Lord,  the  gifts  we 
have  offered,  and  cleanse  our  hearts  by  the 
light  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  and  the  Secret  for 
Corpus  Christi  says  :  We  beseech  Thee,  O  Lord, 
mercifully  to  grant  to  Thy  Church  the  gifts  of 
unity  and  peace  which  are  mystically  figured 
under  the  gifts  we  offer,  through  Thy  Son,  Jesus 
Christ,  our  Lord,  who  liveth  and  reigneth,  world 
without  end. 


THE   PREFACE.  107 


THE   PREFACE. 


The  Preface,  as  its  name  indicates,  is  the  introduction 
to  the  Canon,  the  most  solemn  portion  of  the  Mass, 
which  includes  the  Consecration.  If  we  consider  the 
Introit  (introitus,  entrance)  with  the  preceding  prayers 
as  a  general  introduction  to  Mass,  then  the  Preface 
may  be  considered  as  the  special  introduction  to  the 
Canon. 

The  general  purport  of  the  Preface  is  to  thank 
God  for  all  His  mercies,  to  call  on  the  angels  to  assist 
at  the  great  Sacrifice,  and  to  place  ourselves  in  com- 
munion with  them  in  the  songs  of  adoration  and  love 
which  they  present  at  the  throne  of  God. 

There  are  in  all  eleven  Prefaces — the  Common  or 
ordinary  Preface,  for  days  to  which  no  other  is  ap- 
propriated, and  the  special  Prefaces  for  the  Nativity, 
used  during  the  octave  of  Christmas  (except  on 
St.  John's  octave),  for  the  feasts  of  the  Holy  Name,  of 
the  Purification,  of  Corpus  Christi,  and  of  the  Trans- 
figuration ;  for  the  Epiphany ;  for  Lent ;  for  Passion- 
tide,  used  on  the  feasts  of  the  Invention  and  Exaltation 
of  the  Cross,  of  the  Passion  of  our  Lord,  on  the  Fridays 
of  Lent  and  for  the  Sacred  Heart ;  for  Easter  ;  the 
Ascension ;  Whit  Sunday ;  the  Preface  for  Trinity, 
used  on  all  Sundays  in  the  year  which  have  no  Preface 
of  their  own  ;  the  Preface  for  the  Apostles,  said  also  on 
the  feasts  of  St.  Peter's  Chair  at  Rome  and  at  Antioch. 
The  Preface  for  our  Lady  was  fixed  by  Urban  II.,  at 
the  close  of  the  eleventh  century,  1088 — 1099. 


IDS 


THE  PREFACE. 


The  Preface  is  divided  into  three  parts.  The  intro- 
duction and  conclusion  are  always  the  same  :  the  middle 
changes  with  the  feast  and  the  ecclesiastical  season. 


P.  Dominus  vobiscum. 
R.  Et  cum  spiritu  tuo. 


P.  The  Lord  be  with  you. 
R    And  with  thy  spirit. 


Here  the  Priest  uplifts  his  hands : 


P.  Sursum  corda. 

R.  Habemiis  ad  Dominant. 


P.  Lift  up  your  hearts. 
R.    We   have   them   lifted  tip 
unto  the  Lord. 


He  joins  his  hands,  and  bows  his  head  while  he  says  : 


P  Gratias  agamus  Domino 
Deo  nostro. 

R.  Dignum  et  justum  est. 

Vere  dignum  et  justum  est 
aequum  et  salutare,  nos  tibi 
semper,  et  ubique  gratias 
agere ;  Domine  sancte.  Pater 
omnipotens,  aeterne  Deus; 
per  Christum  Dominum  nos- 
trum. Per  quern  Majestatem 
tuam  laudant  Angeli,  adorant 
Dominationes,  tremunt  Potes- 
tates.  Coeli,  coelorumque  vir- 
tutes,ac  beata  Seraphim,  socia 
exsultatione  concelebrant. 
Cum  quibus  et  nostras  voces, 
ut  admitti  jubeas  deprecamur, 
supplici  confessione  dicentes. 
Sanctus,  Sanctus,  Sanctus. 
Dominus  Deus  Sabaoth. 
Pleni  sunt  coeli  et  terra  gloria 
tua.  Hosanna  in  excelsis. 
Benedictus  qui  venit  in 
nomine  Domini.  Hosanna  in 
excelsis. 


P.  Let  us  give  thanks  to  the 
Lord  our  God. 

R.  It  is  meet  and  just. 

It  is  truly  meet  and  just, 
right  and  salutary,  that  we 
should  always,  and  in  all 
places,  give  thanks  to  Thee, 
O  Holy  Lord,  Father  almighty, 
eternal  God,  through  Christ 
our  Lord.  By  whom  the 
Angels  praise  Thy  Majesty, 
the  Dominations  adore,  the 
Powers  tremble  before  It. 
The  Heavens  and  the 
Heavenly  Virtues  and  the 
blessed  Seraphim  do  cele- 
brate with  united  joy.  In 
union  with  whom  we  beseech 
Thee  to  ordain  that  our 
voices  be  admitted,  saying  in 
suppliant  accord,  Holy,  Holy, 
Holy,  the  Lord  God  of  hosts. 
Full  are  the  heavens  and  the 
earth  of  Thy  glory.  Hosanna 
in  the  highest.  Blessed  is 
He  who  cometh  in  the  name 
of  the  Lord.  Hosanna  in 
the  highest. 


THE  PREFACE.  rog 


EXPLANATION  OF  THE  INTRODUCTION 
TO  THE  PREFACE. 


The  words  Per  omnia  saecula  saeculorum  belong 
to  the  Secret.  The  Introduction  consists  of  three  ver- 
sicles  with  their  responses.  The  priest  opens  with  the 
customary  greeting  Dominus  vobiscum,  without 
turning  as  usual  towards  the  people,  thereby  showing 
that  he  is  wholly  wrapt  in  the  thought  of  the  great 
action  soon  to  be  accomplished.  He  is  conversing  with 
God  face  to  face.  The  server  answers,  or  at  High  Mass 
the  choir  chants,  et  cum  spiritu  tuo — may  God  be  with 
thy  spirit,  O  Priest.  The  Priest  raising  his  hands,  suit- 
ing the  action  to  the  word,  says  the  words  Sursum 
corda — lift  up  your  hearts  as  an  invitation  to  raise 
our  thoughts  to  heavenly  things.  To  this  invitation  the 
people  respond,  we  have  them  lifted  up  unto  the 
Lord,  that  is,  our  hearts  are  already  lifted  up  and  with 
our  Lord.  The  priest  joins  his  hands  and  bows  his  head 
while  he  adds  Let  us  give  thanks  to  the  Lord  our 
God,  a  tribute  which  is  due  to  God  for  all  His  benefits 
and  especially  for  the  gift  of  the  Blessed  Sacrament 
which  comes  to  us  through  the  Holy  Mass.  The  word 
Eucharist,  as  we  have  seen,  means  thanksgiving.  The 
faithful  answer  through  the  server,  it  is  meet  and 
just :  meet  in  respect  of  His  manifold  benefits,  and 
just  on  our  part  who  so  largely  enjoy  them. 

These  words  close  the  introduction  which  is  thoughl 
to  have  been  composed  by  the  Apostles. 


110  THE   PREFACE 


EXPLANATION  OF  THE  Preface. 


We  now  come  to  the  Preface  itself  and  shall  select 
the  Common  Preface  for  explanation.  The  priest 
begins  the  Preface  by  echoing  the  spirit  of  the  response 
and  repeating  it  with  increased  force.  It  is  truly 
meet  and  just,  right  and  salutary;  meet  with 
respect  to  God  whose  benefits  we  acknowledge  by 
thanking  Him  for  them,  while  this  very  act  proclaims 
our  own  feeling  of  gratitude ;  just,  for  thanksgiving  is 
an  obligation  of  justice ;  right  both  on  these  and  all 
other  accounts  ;  salutary,  for  it  conduces  to  our  salva- 
tion ;  that  we  should  always,  and  in  all  places,  give 
thanks  to  Thee,  that  is  on  every  conceivable  occasion, 
laughing  and  weeping,  living  and  dying  we  should 
thank  God.  Holy  Lord,  Father  Almighty,  Eternal 
God,  through  Christ  our  Lord.  These  words  are 
addressed  to  God  the  Father.  Each  epithet,  Holy, 
Almighty,  Eternal,  is  used  in  the  strict  sense  here  and 
belongs  to  God  alone.  By  whom  the  angels  praise 
Thy  Majesty,  the  Dominations  adore,  the  Powers 
tremble  before  It,  the  Heavens  and  the  Heavenly 
Virtues  and  the  Blessed  Seraphim  do  celebrate 
with  united  joy. 

The  introduction  of  the  Angels  into  the  Preface 
adds  much  solemnity  to  its  words.  There  are  nine 
Choirs  of  Angels — Angels,  Archangels,  Virtues,  Powers, 
Principalities,  Dominations,  Thrones,  Cherubim  and 
Seraphim.  It  is  distinctly  said  that  the  angels  praise 
God  the  Father  through  our  Lord,  their  Chief  and 
Mediator.  The  word  "  angels  "  is  not  taken  in  a  general 
sense,  but  specifically  the  first  choir.  The  Dominations 


THE   PREFACE. 


seem  to  annihilate  themselves  in  adoring  the  Majesty  of 
their  Creator — the  Dominations  adore.  The  Powers,  so 
called  says  Gregory  the  Great,  because  by  their  strength 
they  overcome  the  demons,  tremble  before  It,  that  is, 
are  filled  with  a  reverential  fear  (tremunt  Pot  estates). 
The  Heavens,  that  is,  the  entire  Heavenly  Host ;  the 
Virtues,  perhaps  the  Choir  of  Angels  through  whose 
agency  miraculous  signs  are  made,  and  the  Blessed 
Seraphim,  the  highest  choir  of  all,  called  Blessed 
because  of  their  incomparable  love  for  God,  in  common 
jubilee  glorify  God's  Majesty. 

Here  four  different  emotions  or  actions  are  ascribed 
to  the  angels  in  which  we  are  to  imitate  them  :  namely, 
praise,  adoration,  awe,  and  joy. 

The  priest  next  prays  in  the  name  of  the  faithful 
and  in  his  own.  In  union  with  whom  we  beseech 
Thee  to  ordain  that  our  voices  be  admitted  in 
suppliant  accord  (our  humble  voice  of  praise)  saying: 
now  comes  the  conclusion  of  the  Preface. 

1.  Holy,   holy,   holy,  the   Lord  God  of  hosts. 
Full  are  the  heavens  and  the  earth  of  Thy  glory. 

2.  Blessed  is  He  who  cometh  in  the  name  of 
the  Lord.    Hosanna  in  the  highest. 

The  first  verse  is  taken  from  the  sixth  chapter  of 
Isaias,  v.  3,  where  the  Prophet  describes  the  glorious 
vision  of  the  Lord's  throne  and  the  Seraphim  "cried 
one  to  another,  saying  Holy,  holy,  holy,  Lord  God  of 
hosts,  all  the  earth  is  full  of  His  glory."  The  three-fold 
repetition  of  holy  is  perhaps  in  honour  of  the  Trinity, 
Father,  Son,  and  Holy  Ghost,  distinct  in  person,  the 
same  in  nature. 

The  second  verse  is  the  repetition  of  the  cries  of 
joy  by  the  crowd  in  St.  Matthew  (xxi.  9)  as  our  Lord 
entered  Jerusalem  on  Palm  Sunday.  "  Blessed  is  He 


THE  PREFACE. 


that  cometh  in  the  name  of  the  Lord.  Hosanna  in  the 
highest." 

Hosanna  means  "Save  we  pray" — much  like  our 
expression,  God  save  the  King,  or  the  French  Vive 
rEmpereur,  Blessed  is  He  who  cometh  in  the  name 
of  the  Lord  refers  to  Jesus  Christ,  who  is  in  the  full 
sense  of  the  word  blessed,  for  He  is  the  source  of  every 
blessing. 

The  words  Blessed  is  He  who  cometh  refer 
directly  to  our  Lord's  coming  in  the  Eucharist.  The 
Church  seems  to  give  this  interpretation  in  her  rubric 
which  prescribes  these  words  to  be  sung  by  the  choir 
after  the  Consecration. 


QUESTIONS   ON    CHAPTER  XIII. 

1.  What  is  the  Offertory?     Why  so  called  ?     Why  is  the 
oblation  of  bread  and  wine  made  ?     What  is  the  object  of 
the  five  prayers  said  by  the  priest  ? 

2.  Why  are  wine  and  water  mingled  ?     Why  is  the  latter 
alone  blessed  ? 

3.  Distinguish    in    the    first    prayer   Sitscipe,  sancte  Pater 
(Accept,  O  holy  Father),  between   "sins,"  "offences,"   and 
"  negligences." 

4.  What  is  meant  by  "  Chalice  of  Salvation  "  ?    Why  does 
the  priest  say  "  we  offer,"  and  not  "  I  offer  "  ? 

5.  What  connection  is  there  between  the  prayer  of  the 
Three  Children  in  the  furnace  and  the   prayer  "  in  spiritu 
humilitatis  "  ? 

6.  What  is   meant   by  invoking   the  Holy  Ghost  in   the 
Veni  Sanctificaior  ? 

7.  Mention   and   explain   the   points   of    doctrine   in   the 
prayer  Suscipe,  sancta  Trinitas. 

8.  What  is  the  difference  between  the  Collect  and  Secret  ? 

9.  What  was  the  Preface  originally  ?     What  is  its  object 
now  ?     How  many  Prefaces  are  there  now  ? 

10.  Mention  the  Choirs  of  Angels. 


CHAPTER   the   FOURTEENTH. 


PART  THE  THIRD. 
THE   CANON   OF   THE    MASS. 


THE  word  Canon  (*cai/wv)  signifies  a  straight  rod,  then  a 
rule  used  by  masons  or  carpenters,  or  a  measuring 
rule.  Canon  by  an  obvious  metaphor  was  used  and 
is  still  used  as  a  rule  in  art ;  thus  we  speak  of 
something  being  against  all  the  canons  of  literary 
taste.  The  underlying  sense  of  something  fixed  is 
found  in  the  various  uses  to  which  the  word  Canon 
is  applied  by  the  Church.  Thus,  the  Canon  of  Scripture 
is  the  fixed  list  of  books  which  the  Church  recognizes 
as  inspired ;  ecclesiastical  laws  and  definitions  ot 
councils  are  called  Canons,  they  are  fixed  rules  in 
faith  or  conduct ;  Canon-ization  is  the  fixed  list  of 
saints  whom  the  Church  places  on  her  altars ;  Canon, 
now  an  ecclesiastical  title,  meant  originally  a  fixed 
list  of  clerics  attached  to  a  church.  The  Canon  in 
Mass  means  the  fixed  rule  according  to  which  the  Holy 
Sacrifice  is  offered.  Briefly,  we  may  say  the  Canon 
of  the  Mass  means  the  fixed  portion  of  the  Mass. 
Other  portions  vary  with  the  feast  and  the  season, 
while  the  Canon  (if  you  except  slight  additions 
i 


Ii4  THE  CANON  OF  THE  MASS. 


in  the  prayers  Communicantes  and  Hanc  igitur)  always 
remains  the  same.  As  the  Sacrifice  in  itself  never 
varies,  there  is  a  special  fitness  that  the  prayer  which 
accompanies  it,  and  as  it  were  enshrines  it,  should  be 
unchangeable. 

Other  names  are  given  to  the  Canon  by  early 
writers :  thus,  St.  Gregory  calls  it  the  "  prayer  "  by 
excellence,  others  the  "action,"  the  latter  word  is  still 
kept  in  the  Missal  and  forms  the  title  of  the  prayer 
Communicantes  in  the  Canon.  The  Canon  is  called  "  the 
action,"  because  the  Body  and  Blood  of  Jesus  Christ  in 
the  Mass  is  wrought  or  made  (conficitur)  by  the  greatest 
"  action  "  or  act  in  this  world.  The  power  to  perform 
that  "  action  "  is  given  to  the  priest  at  his  ordination. 

Of  what  does  the  Canon  consist  ?  The  Council  of 
Trent  (Sess.  xxii.  ch.  4)  commits  itself  to  these  asser- 
tions— the  Canon  consists  first  of  our  Lord's  very 
words ;  secondly,  of  prayers  received  from  the  tradi- 
tions of  the  Apostles ;  thirdly,  of  prayers  piously 
ordered  by  holy  Pontiffs.  The  Council  defines  that 
the  Canon  of  the  Mass  is  free  from  errors,  and  that 
the  entire  Canon  is  redolent  of  holiness. 

The  words :  a  holy  sacrifice  and  spotless  Victim 
were  added  by  St.  Leo  the  Great.  Pope  St.  Gregory  the 
Great  (590 — 604)  added  the  words :  and  dispose  our 
days  in  Thy  peace,  command  us  to  be  delivered 
from  eternal  damnation,  and  to  be  numbered  in 
the  flock  of  Thy  elect.  He  is  also  said  to  have 
added  the  names  of  the  holy  virgins  and  martyrs 
SS.  Agatha,  Lucia,  Agnes,  Cecilia,  and  Anastasia. 

As  to  the  antiquity  of  the  Canon — we  are  certainly 
safe  in  saying  that  it  is  some  1,300  or  1,400  years  old, 
there  has  been  no  addition  to  the  Canon  since  the  time 
of  Gregory  the  Great. 


THE  CANON  OF  THE  MASS.          H5 

But  portions  of  it  may  be  earlier.  The  narrative 
introductory  to  the  Consecration  and  the  words  of  con- 
secration of  the  Chalice  certainly  contain  Apostolical 
traditions  of  the  actions  and  words  of  our  Blessed 
Saviour,  Who  (as  we  know  from  St.  John  xxi.  25) 
said  and  did  many  things  which  are  not  in  the  holy 
Gospels.  The  order  in  which  the  Apostles'  names  are 
given  is  not  precisely  the  same  as  in  any  of  the 
Gospels ;  the  names  of  the  Apostles  may  have  been 
written  earlier  than  the  Gospels.  Further,  the  list  of 
saints  given  in  the  Canon  consists  of  Apostles  and 
martyrs  only;  a  sign  that  at  least  a  portion  of  the 
Canon  is  earlier  than  the  fourth  century,  when  the 
names  of  Confessors  were  added  to  the  Church's  list 
of  saints. 

The  Canon  begins  after  the  Sanctus  and  ends 
before  the  Pater  noster,  according  to  some  ;  according  to 
others,  the  Canon  ends  with  the  priest's  Communion. 

By  the  strict  law  of  the  Church  in  the  Council 
of  Trent,  the  Canon  is  said  by  the  priest  in  a  low  voice 
(submissa  voce]  and  the  priest  never  raises  his  voice 
from  the  prayer  which  begins  the  Canon — Teigitur,"We 
therefore  humbly  pray  and  beseech  Thee,  until  the 
Pater  noster,  except  at  the  Nobis  quoque  peccatoribus. 

The  rubric  is  that  the  Canon  be  said  so  as  to  be 
inaudible  to  the  congregation,  because  the  great  act  of 
sacrifice  in  the  Canon  belongs  to  the  priest  alone,  and 
secondly,  because  silence  in  the  most  important  portion 
of  the  Mass  is  most  impressive  for  all  who  assist 
at  the  Sacrifice,  and  it  promotes  recollection. 

The  priest  begins  the  Canon  by  extending  and 
raising  his  hands  and  fixing  his  eyes  on  the  crucifix. 
He  then  lowers  his  hands  and  joining  them,  he  lays 
them  on  the  altar,  and  at  the  same  time  makes  a 


*i6  THE  CANON  OF  THE  MASS. 

profound  inclination  of  the  body.  Ail  these  acts 
indicate  the  homage  and  reverence  of  the  priest  before 
entering  on  the  most  august  portion  of  the  Mass. 

Te    igitur,     clementissime  We  therefore  humbly  pray 

Pater,  per   Jesum    Christum  and      beseech      Thee,     most 

Filium  tuum    Dominum    nos-  merciful       Father,      through 

trum,   supplices   rogamus,  ac  Jesus   Christ    Thy   Son,    our 

petimus,  uti  accepta  habeas,  Lord    (he    kisses    the    Altar), 

et  benedicas    haec    4*   dona,  that  thou  wouldst  accept  and 

haec     »J«     munera,    haec     >f<  bless  these  »£«  gifts,  these  •}« 

sancta  sacrificia  illibata;    in  presents,   these    •%•   holy   un- 

primis,    quae    tibi    offerimus  spotted  Sacrifices,  which,  in 

pro      Ecclesia    tua      sancta  the     first     place,    we     offer 

catholica :    quam    pacificare,  Thee  for  Thy  holy  Catholic 

custodire,  adunare,  et  regere  Church,  to  which    vouchsafe 

digneris  toto  orbe  terrarum,  to    grant   peace,    as    also    to 

una  cum    famulo    tuo   Papa  protect,  unite,  and  govern  it 

nostro  N.,  et  Antistite  nostro  throughout  the  world,  together 

N.,   et    omnibus    orthodoxis,  with  Thy  servant  N.  our  Pope, 

atque     catholicae,    et     apos-  AT.   our    Bishop,   as    also    all 

tolicae  fidei  cultoribus.  orthodox  believers  and  pro- 
fessors of  the  Catholic  and 
Apostolic  Faith. 


EXPLANATION  OF  THE  FIRST  PRAYER  IN  THE  CANON 
BEFORE  THE  CONSECRATION. 

The  first  prayer  in  the  Canon  is  divided  into  three 
parts.  The  first  part  begins  We,  therefore,  humbly 
pray  and  beseech  Thee,  and  ends  with  the  words  of 
the  Catholic  and  Apostolic  Faith.  The  second  part 
is  the  commemoration  of  the  Living  from,  Be  mindful, 
O  Lord,  of  Thy  servants,  to  living  and  true  God. 
The  third  part  is  during  the  Action  from  the  words 
Communicating  with  down  to  through  the  same 
Christ  our  Lord.  These  are  not  three  separate 
prayers,  but  one  prayer  with  the  one  and  the  same 
ending,  through  the  same  Christ  our  Lord. 


THE  CANON  OF  THE  MASS.  117 

The  priest  says — We  therefore  humbly  pray  and 
beseech  Thee.  Therefore  connects  the  Canon  with 
the  Preface.  It  is  as  if  the  priest  had  said,  "  After 
having  offered  you  our  thanks,  O  Father,  we  come 
to  you  with  our  petitions."  We  humbly  pray  and 
beseech  Thee,  the  repetition  of  the  same  thought  in 
different  words  indicates  the  earnestness  of  the  petition  : 
most  merciful  Father,  the  Latin  word  clementissimt 
refers  to  the  Father  as  always  lessening  the  punishment 
due  to  sin  and  therefore  merciful.  To  the  Father  in 
imitation  of  our  Lord  Himself  in  the  supper-room  the 
priest  prays,  as  to  Him  alone  sacrifice  is  offered ; 
through  Jesus  Christ  Thy  Son  our  Lord,  through 
whom  alone  our  prayers  can  be  acceptable  in  Thy 
sight  and  because  of  the  Sacrifice  instituted  by  Him 
which  we  are  about  to  offer  in  His  name  and  in  His 
behalf.  That  Thou  wouldst  accept  and  bless  (here 
having  first  kissed  the  altar  in  reverence  and  love  to 
our  Lord  he  makes  three  crosses)  these-J-gifts,  these 
•^•presents,  these  •%<  holy  unspotted  sacrifices.  The 
priest  prays  that  God  may  accept  and  bless  for  the  good 
of  the  Universal  Church,  and  consecrate  the  bread  and 
wine,  that  they  may  as  far  as  possible  be  fit  to  be 
changed  into  the  Body  and  Blood  of  our  Lord.  The 
bread  and  wine  are  called  by  three  names  —  gifts,, 
things  which  we  receive  from  God,  presents,  which 
we  offer  to  Him,  holy  unspotted  sacrifices,  in  anti- 
cipation of  the  words  of  consecration  so  soon  to  be 
pronounced,  when  these  gifts  will  be  changed  into  the 
Body  and  Blood  of  our  Lord.  Hence  they  are  called 
holy  and  especially  spotless  by  anticipation,  the 
sense  being,  which  we  offer  Thee  not  merely  as 
bread  and  wine,  but  as  bread  and  wine  so  soon  to  be 
converted  into  the  Body  and  Blood  of  our  Lord. 


u8         THE  CANON  OF  THE  MASS. 


The  priest  continues,  In  the  first  place  for  Thy 
Holy  Catholic  Church.  Christ  on  the  Cross  was  the 
Saviour  of  all  and  especially  of  those  united  to  Him  by 
the  true  Faith — for  them  chiefly  was  the  sacrifice  of 
Calvary  offered;  they  make  the  Church,  which  is  called 
holy,  because  of  its  Founder,  its  doctrine  and  the 
eminent  holiness  of  so  many  of  its  children;  and 
Catholic,  because  spread  throughout  the  world,  to 
which  vouchsafe  to  grant  peace ;  as  also  to  protect, 
unite,  and  govern  it  throughout  the  world.  Four 
graces  are  here  asked  for  the  Church  :  peace ;  internal 
amongst  its  own  members  in  freedom  from  dissensions, 
external  in  a  truce  from  the  violent  attacks  of  its 
enemies,  protection  against  its  many  enemies  visible 
and  invisible — union  in  faith  and  in  heart — the  grace 
our  Saviour  asked  in  His  prayer  to  the  Father  for  His 
Disciples :  "  My  Father,  keep  them  in  Thy  name  whom 
Thou  hast  given  Me  that  they  may  be  one,  as  we  also 
are  .  .  .  and  not  for  them  only  do  I  pray,  but  for  all 
those  also  who  through  their  word  shall  believe  in  Me, 
-that  they  all  may  be  one."  Lastly,  God  is  asked  to 
govern  the  Church  through  holy  and  wise  Prelates 
whom  He  sends.  Together  with  thy  Servant  N.  our 
Pope,  N.  our  Bishop.  Special  mention  is  made  by 
name  of  the  Pope  as  Head  and  ruler  of  the  whole  Church 
in  urgent  need  of  help  from  the  Mass,  the  greatest  of 
all  acts  of  worship,  and  of  the  Bishop  of  the  Diocese 
who  rules  and  governs  in  obedience  to  the  Pope  that 
portion  of  the  Flock  assigned  to  him.  As  also  all 
orthodox  believers  and  professors  of  the  Catholic 
and  Apostolic  Faith.  By  the  orthodox  is  meant  all 
members  of  the  Catholic  Church,  while  by  the  term 
professors  (ctdtoribus)  is  meant  such  as  practise  the 
Faith  they  believe ;  those  who  live  up  to  the  Faith. 


THE  MEMENTO   FOR   THE  LIVING.  119 

as  we  say,  and  the  word  covers  in  a  special  way 
missionaries  who  preach  the  Faith  and  help  towards 
the  conversion  of  souls.  Although  under  the  term 
"  Orthodox"  the  Church  prays  only  for  her  own 
children  who  belong  to  her  by  Baptism  ;  still  the  Holy 
Sacrifice  is  applicable  to  infidels,  heretics,  or  schismatics, 
in  so  far  as  it  may  obtain  for  them  the  grace  of 
conversion,  or  avert  from  them  the  chastisements  of 
God. 


THE   MEMENTO   FOR  THE  LIVING. 


Memento,  Domine,  famulo-  Be  mindful,  O  Lord,  of  Thy 
rum  famularumque  tuarum  N.  servants,  men  and  women,  N. 
-et  N.  and  N. 

The  Priest  joins  his  hands,  and  prays  silently  for  those  he 
intends  to  pray  for. 

Then  extending  his  hands,  he  proceeds  : 

Et  omnium  circumstantium,  And    of   all    here    present, 

quorum  tibi  fides  cognita  est,  whose  faith  and  devotion  are 

et  nota   devotio,  pro   quibus  known  unto  Thee ;  for  whom 

tibi     offerimus    vel    qui    tibi  we  offer,  or  who  offer  up  to 

offerunthoc  sacrificiumlaudis,  Thee,  this  Sacrifice  of  praise 

pro  se  suisque  omnibus,  pro  for    themselves,   and    for    all 

redemptione  animarum    sua-  near  or  dear  to  them ;  for  the 

rum,  pro  spe  salutis,et  incolu-  redemption  of  their  souls,  for 

mitatis  suae :  tibique  reddunt  the  hope   of   their   salvation 

vota  sua  aeterno  Deo,  vivo  et  and  safety,  and  who  offer  their 

vero.  vows  to  Thee,    the    eternal, 

living,  and  true  God. 

The  Memento  for  the  Living  is  a  prayer  named  from 
its  first  word  "  Remember  "  and  is  introduced  in  this 
part  of  the  Mass  for  all  those  living  persons  to  whom 
the  priest  may  desire  to  apply  in  an  especial  manner 
the  fruit  of  this  Holy  Sacrifice. 


THE   MEMENTO   FOR   THE   LIVING. 


EXPLANATION  OF  THE  MEMENTO  FOR  THE  LIVING. 


Remember,  not  that  God  forgets,  but  as  a  kind 
and  indulgent  father  remembers  his  children  ("  Lord, 
remember  me,  when  Thou  comest  into  Thy  Kingdom  "), 
so  does  God  minister  to  their  wants.  The  letters  N.N. 
are  placed  to  remind  the  priest  to  mention  certain 
persons  by  name  or  to  dwell  on  them  in  thought.  The 
mention  of  the  names  of  Pope  and  Bishop,  the  Memento 
for  the  Living  before,  and  the  Memento  for  the  Dead 
after  the  Consecration,  when  the  priest  prays  silently  for 
the  living  and  the  dead,  remind  us  also  of  diptychs  once 
used  during  the  Holy  Sacrifice.  Diptychs  were  tablets 
on  which  were  inscribed  the  names  of  the  living  and  of 
the  dead.  They  were  in  use  amongst  the  Latins  down 
to  the  twelfth  and  amongst  the  Greeks  to  the  fifteenth 
century.  Diptychs  of  the  living  contained  the  names 
of  the  Pope,  Patriarchs,  the  Bishop  of  the  diocese, 
of  benefactors,  &c. ;  the  diptychs  of  the  dead  contained 
as  a  rule  the  names  of  those  once  inscribed  on  the 
diptychs  of  the  living.  The  way  in  which  these 
diptychs  were  used  at  Mass  varied  in  different  times 
and  places.  Originally  the  deacon  read  out  the  names 
from  the  Ambo ;  later  the  deacon  or  subdeacon  read 
them  in  a  loud  voice  to  the  celebrant ;  later  still  they 
were  simply  laid  on  the  altar  and  the  priest  in  his 
prayer  remembered  the  names.1  We  may  add  that  in 
some  Missals  both  Mementoes  retain  the  name — Oratio 
super  diptycha — prayer  over  the  diptychs.  The  priest 
joins  his  hands  and  prays  silently  for  those  he  intends 
to  pray  for,  then  extending  his  hands,  he  proceeds  :  and 
of  all  here  present,  who  merit  special  mention  for 
assisting  at  Mass,  whose  faith  and  devotion  are 

1  Catholic  Dictionary  (Sixth  Edition),  p.  286. 


THE   MEMENTO    FOR   THE   LIVING.  121 

known  unto  Thee.  By  faith  is  meant  the  ready 
acceptance  of  the  truths  of  faith.  Devotion  does  not 
consist  in  sensible  feeling,  but  in  a  willingness,  as 
St.  Thomas  teaches  (2-2.  q.  82.  ad  i)  to  perform  faith- 
fully all  that  relates  to  the  service  of  God.  For 
whom  we  offer ;  the  priest  speaks  in  the  name  of  the 
Church  ;  or  who  offer  up  to  Thee;  here  again,  as  in 
the  Orate  Fratres,  the  people  are  represented  as  offering 
Sacrifice,  though  not  in  the  same  way  as  the  priest 
offers.  This  Sacrifice  of  praise — the  Mass  is  essentially 
a  Sacrifice  of  praise,  but  it  is  much  more.  To  say  that 
the  Mass  is  only  a  Sacrifice  of  praise  is  heresy  con- 
demned by  the  Council  of  Trent.  For  themselves,  and 
for  all  near  or  dear  to  them.  For  all  their  belongings, 
as  we  say — in  these  words  may  be  included  their  friends 
and  even  their  temporal  possessions.  For  the  hope  of 
their  salvation  and  safety.  The  faithful  unite  with 
the  priest  in  offering  the  Mass  as  a  Sacrifice  of  expia- 
tion for  the  redemption  of  the  souls  of  all  they  know 
and  love;  the  word  salutis,  salvation,  includes  all  super- 
natural gifts  of  grace  in  this  world  and  glory  in  the 
next ;  incolumitatis  covers  health  of  body.  The  prayer  is 
for  every  blessing  for  soul  and  body  in  this  world  and 
the  next.  And  who  offer  their  vows  to  Thee. 
Vows  are  not  taken  in  the  strict  sense  of  a  promise 
made  with  full  deliberation  to  God  binding  under  sin — 
the  word  here  means,  as  frequently  in  the  language 
of  the  Church,  acts  of  interior  and  exterior  worship. 
The  eternal,  living,  and  true  God.  Each  epithet 
it  its  strict  sense  belongs  to  God  alone — eternal,  Who- 
always  was,  is,  and  ever  will  be  ;  living,  the  source  of 
all  life  ("  I  am  the  Way,  the  Truth,  and  the  Life"), 
true  God,  in  opposition  to  all  false  deities  and  objects- 
of  man's  worship. 


WITHIN   THE   ACTION. 


WITHIN  THE  ACTION. 


Communicantes,  et  memo- 
•riam  venerantes,  in  primis 
gloriosae  semper  Virginis 
Mariae,  Genitricis  Dei  et 
Domini  nostri  Jesu  Christi : 
sed  et  beatorum  Apostolorum 
ac  Martyrum  tuorum,  Petri 
et  Pauli,  Andreae,  Jacobi, 
Joannis,  Thomae,  Jacobi, 
Philippi,  Bartholomaei,  Mat- 
thaei,  Simonis  et  Thaddaei : 
Lini,  Cleti,  dementis,  Xysti, 
Cornelii,  Cypriani,  Laurentii, 
Chrysogoni,  Joannis  et  Pauli, 
Cosmae  et  Damiani,  et  om- 
nium Sanctorum  tuorum  : 
quorum  meritis  precibusque 
concedas,  ut  in  omnibus  pro- 
tectionis  tuae  muniamur 
auxilio.  Per  eumdem  Chris- 
tum Dominum  nostrum. 
Amen. 


Communicating  with,  and 
honouring  in  the  first  place 
the  memory  of  the  glorious 
and  ever  Virgin  Mary,  Mother 
of  God  and  of  our  Lord  Jesus 
Christ ;  as  also  of  the  blessed 
Apostles  and  Martyrs,  Peter 
and  Paul,  Andrew,  James, 
John,  Thomas,  James,  Philip, 
Bartholomew,  Matthew, Simon 
and  Thaddeus,  Linus,  Cletus, 
Clement,  Xystus,  Cornelius, 
Cyprian,  Lawrence,  Chryso- 
gonus,  John  and  Paul, 
Cosmas  and  Damian,  and  of 
all  Thy  Saints :  by  whose 
merits  and  prayers,  grant 
that  we  may  be  always  de- 
fended by  the  help  of  Thy 
protection.  Through  the  same 
Christ  our  Lord.  Amen. 


EXPLANATION  OF  THE  PRAYER  Communicantes. 


We  now  come  to  the  third  portion  of  the  first  prayer 
of  the  Canon.  This  portion  is  called  the  Communicantes 
or  "  Commemoration  of  the  saints  in  glory."  What  is 
meant  by  "  Within  the  Action,"  and  why  are  the  words 
selected  as  a  heading  for  this  prayer  ?  As  already  said, 
the  Canon  was  sometimes  called  by  ancient  writers  the 
Action,  as  including  the  great  Act  or  Deed  of  the 
priest  at  the  Mass  in  consecrating  bread  and  wine, 
and  converting  both  into  the  Body  and  Blood  of  our 
Lord.  The  reason  why  "  Within  the  Action  "  is  placed 


WITHIN   THE   ACTION.  123 

over  the  Communicantes  alone,  seems  to  be  that  on  six 
great  feasts  of  the  year,  Christmas,  Epiphany,  Maundy 
Thursday,  Easter,  Ascension,  and  Pentecost,  an  addition 
is  made  to  the  Communicantes  bearing  on  the  feast  of  the 
day.  Thus  changed,  the  prayer  is  found  in  the  Missal 
after  the  Preface,  and  bears  the  title,  "Within  the  Action," 
to  show  that  it  ought  to  be  inserted  in  the  Canon. 
Originally  the  title  was  found  only  in  the  Communicantes 
for  the  six  feasts  referred  to,  and  then  it  passed  to  the 
Communicantes  said  in  the  Canon.  That  prayer  runs  thus : 
Communicating  with  and  honouring  in  the  first 
place  the  memory  of  the  glorious  and  ever  Virgin 
Mary.  These  words,  Communicating  and  honouring 
are  not  to  be  considered  as  distinct  from  the  foregoing, 
but  as  a  continuation  of  the  preceding  prayer.  The 
sense  is,  according  to  Suarez,  "  pay  their  vows  to  Thee 
the  living  and  true  God,  communicating  with  Thy 
saints  to  whom  they  are  so  closely  united,  whose 
intercession  they  invoke  while  venerating  their 
memory."  (Suarez  in  Hi.  Disp.  83,  Sect.  2.  2.  7.) 

In  the  Canon,  mentioned  by  name,  are  the  Blessed 
Virgin,  twelve  Apostles,  twelve  Martyrs,  then  all  the 
Saints  in  general. 

Mary,  called  glorious,  an  epithet  which  the 
Church  is  fond  of  applying  to  our  Lady  as  she  gives 
more  glory  to  God  than  Angels  and  Saints  together; 
ever  Virgin,  the  Catholic  doctrine  is  that  Mary  was 
a  Virgin  in  Conception,  in  Birth,  and  after  the  Birth  of 
her  Son.  Her  name  is  fittingly  introduced  in  the  Mass 
as  she  gave  us  the  Body  that  suffered  and  died  on  the 
Cross — and  of  His  Death,  Mass  is  the  re-presentation 
and  commemoration.  Nobis  datus,  nobis  natus,  sings 
the  Church,  ex  intacta  Virgine, — "given  to  us,  born  to 
us  from  a  spotless  Virgin." 


I24  WITHIN  THE   ACTION. 

The  name  of  St.  Matthias  is  omitted  from  the  list 
of  the  Apostles,  because  St.  Matthias  was  not  an 
Apostle  at  the  time  of  our  Lord's  Passion.  The 
number  twelve  is  made  up  by  the  addition  of  St.  Paul 
who,  though  an  Apostle,  was  not  one  of  the  twelve. 
He  is  always  united  to  St.  Peter  in  the  Liturgy  of  the 
Church.  Martyrs  only  are  mentioned  in  this  list,  not 
Confessors — which  shows  the  antiquity  of  this  portion  of 
the  Canon — for  only  in  the  fourth  century  did  the  Church 
include  Confessors  in  her  Canonized  Saints.  St.  Peter 
is  the  first  mentioned,  and  St.  Thaddeus  the  last. 

Next  come  twelve  Martyrs. 

The  first  five  are  Popes  SS.  Linus,  Cletus,  Clement, 
Xystus,  and  Cornelius.  Of  these  SS.  Linus,  Cletus, 
and  Clement  were  fellow-labourers  with  St.  Peter  in 
preaching  the  Gospel  at  Rome.  St.  Cyprian  was 
the  celebrated  Martyr  and  Bishop  of  Carthage. 
St.  Lawrence  was  Deacon  to  Pope  Sixtus  II. 
St.  Chrysogonus  was  an  illustrious  Roman,  martyred 
at  Aquileia  under  Diocletian.  John  and  Paul  were 
brothers  who,  rather  than  worship  idols,  were  martyred 
by  Julian  the  Apostate.  Cosmas  and  Damian  were 
also  brothers,  and  physicians  too,  who  exercised  their 
profession  gratis  for  the  love  of  God  and  of  their 
neighbour. 

The  concluding  words  of  the  prayer,  by  whose 
merits  and  prayers  grant  that  we  may  be  always 
defended  by  the  help  of  Thy  protection.  Through 
the  same  Christ  our  Lord,  Amen ;  bring  out  the 
Catholic  doctrine  that  the  good  works  of  Christians, 
and  far  more  the  holy  lives  and  glorious  deaths  of  the 
Apostles  and  other  Saints,  and  pre-eminently  of  the 
Mother  of  God,  derive  their  saving  efficacy  through 
their  union  with  Christ  our  Lord. 


THE   SECOND   PRAYER   IN   THE   CANON.  125 


THE  SECOND  PRAYER  IN  THE  CANON 
BEFORE  THE  CONSECRATION. 


Spreading  his  hands  over  the  oblation,  the  priest  says : 
Hanc  igitur  oblationem  ser-  We,  therefore,  beseech 
•vitutis  nostrae,  sed  et  cunctae  Thee,  O  Lord,  to  be  appeased 
familiae  tuae,  quaesumus  and  to  accept  this  oblation  of 
Domine,  ut  placatus  accipias ;  our  service,  as  also  of  Thy 
diesque  nostros  in  tua  pace  whole  family;  dispose  our 
disponas,  atque  ab  aeterna  days  in  Thy  peace,  command 
damnatione  nos  eripi,  et  in  us  to  be  delivered  from 
electorum  tuornm  jubeas  eternal  damnation,  and  to 
grege  numerari.  Per  Christum  be  numbered  in  the  flock  of 
Dominum  nostrum.  Amen.  Thy  elect.  Through  Christ 

our  Lord.     Amen. 

While  saying  these  words  the  priest  holds  his  hands 
over  the  bread  and  wine  and  the  thumbs  are  stretched 
one  over  the  other  in  the  form  of  a  cross.  This  gesture 
signifies  the  transfer  of  something  to  another.  In 
Exodus  (xxix.  10),  before  the  calf  is  killed  we  read  that 
41  Aaron  and  his  sons  shall  lay  their  hands  upon  his 
head,"  and  again  in  Leviticus  (*'.  4) :  "  And  he  shall  put 
his  hand  upon  the  head  of  the  victim."  This  laying  of 
hands  implied  the  consciousness  of  guilt  in  the  person 
who  performed  the  act,  and  the  wish  to  transfer  to  the 
victim  those  sins  for  which  the  victim  was  to  die  instead 
of  the  sinner.  Here  at  the  Mass,  by  the  imposition  of 
hands,  the  priest  signifies  that  the  sins  of  the  world  are 
carried  by  our  Lord  who  died  for  them  on  the  Cross 
- — "who  bore  all  our  iniquities  on  the  Tree."  The 
Mass  is  the  re-presentation  of  that  Sacrifice  on  Calvary. 
This  imposition  of  hands  at  Mass  did  not  always  exist 
in  the  Church :  it  was  introduced  at  the  end  of  the 
fifteenth  century ;  and  it  was  prescribed  by  St.  Pius  V. 
as  a  general  law. 


126  THE  SECOND  PRAYER  IN  THE  CANON. 


EXPLANATION  OF  THE  PRAYER  Hanc  igitur 
oblationem. 


The  word  therefore  connects  the  prayer  with  the 
Communicantes  which  precedes.  Encouraged  by  the 
prayers  of  the  Saints,  in  the  hope  that  God  is  appeased 
and  that  He  will  show  us  mercy,  the  Church  through 
the  mouth  of  her  priest  beseeches  God  the  Father  to 
accept  this  oblation  of  our  service,  as  also  of  Thy 
whole  family.  The  Mass  is  a  Sacrifice  which  we  make 
to  God  with  all  the  family  of  the  Church,  to  acknowledge 
His  supreme  dominion  over  all  creatures,  and  our  abso- 
lute dependence  on  Him.  Such  is  the  sense  of  the  phrase 
oblation  of  our  service.  Next,  besides  the  acceptance 
of  the  Sacrifice  three  petitions  are  made:  (i)  dispose 
our  days  in  Thy  peace;  (2)  command  us  to  be 
delivered  from  eternal  damnation  (compare  the  line 
in  the  Dies  Irae — Sed  hi  bonus  fac  benigne,  ne  perenni  cremer 
igne — "  In  Thy  goodness  grant  that  I  be  not  consumed 
in  everlasting  fire") ;  (3)  and  to  be  numbered  in  the 
flock  of  Thy  elect  to  make  our  election  SURE  (2  Pet.  i. 
10).  In  the  Te  Deum  we  say  Aeterna  fac  cum  Sanctis  titis 
in  gloria  numerari — "  Grant  that  we  may  be  numbered 
with  Thy  Saints  in  glory  everlasting." 

The  foregoing  petitions  were  added  by  St.  Gregory 
the  Great.  We  need  not  be  surprised  that  the  great 
Saint,  to  whom  the  Liturgy  owes  so  much,  should 
have  selected  the  moment  before  Consecration  to  ask 
deliverance  from  eternal  fire.  The  Sacrifice  of  Calvary 
saves  the  Christian  family  from  Hell :  and  the  Conse- 
cration about  to  follow  under  two  kinds  is  the  memorial 
of  that  Sacrifice.  No  time  could  have  been  more 
opportune  for  this  request,  grounded  on  the  holy  fear 
of  God. 


THE   THIRD   PRAYER   IN  THE  CANON.  127 


THE  THIRD  PRAYER  IN  THE  CANON 
BEFORE  THE  CONSECRATION. 


Which  oblation  do  Thou,  O  God,  vouchsafe  in 
all  things  to  make  ^  blessed,  *J*  approved,  •%*  rati- 
fied, reasonable,  and  acceptable,  that  it  may  become 
to  us  the  Body  •%*  and  ^  Blood  of  Thy  most 
beloved  Son,  Jesus  Christ  our  Lord. 

EXPLANATION  OF  THE  PRAYER. 


This  prayer  is  in  close  connection  with  the  preceding 
and  serves  as  an  immediate  introduction  to  the  act 
of  Consecration. 

We  ask  God  first  to  make  blessed  the  bread 
and  wine  in  the  most  perfect  of  all  ways  by  trans- 
forming them  into  the  Body  and  Blood  of  our  Lord,  the 
source  of  all  blessings  to  the  world. 

The  Latin  word  adscriptam — legitimate — is  variously 
explained.  Perhaps  the  best  rendering  is  approved, 
that  is  according  to  the  directions  prescribed,  laid  down 
by  our  Lord  at  the  Last  Supper.  Adscriptam,  says  Father 
Suarez,  may  be  taken  to  mean  that  the  oblation  should 
be  made  as  prescribed  by  our.  Lord  in  the  words  "  Do 
this  in  commemoration  of  Me "  and  consequently 
legitimate. 

The  oblation  will  be  ratified  that  is  real,  valid  it 
offered  in  the  way  ordained  by  our  Lord  in  the 
institution  of  the  Blessed  Eucharist ;  thus  a  Sacrament 


128  THE   THIRD   PRAYER   IN   THE   CANON. 

properly  administered  we  speak  of  as  real,  vahd — as 
Baptism,  Marriage,  &c. 

The  offering  or  sacrifice  is  said  to  be  reasonable 
(compare  St.  Paul's  expression,  the  reasonable  homage  of 
our  faith),  because  on  the  altar  the  Victim  offered  is 
the  Lamb  of  God,  Uncreated  Reason  and  Wisdom,  quite 
different  from  the  Sacrifices  of  the  Old  Law  where  the 
victims  were  animals  without  reason.  Adorned  by 
these  four  qualities  the  Sacrifice  of  the  Body  and 
Blood  of  Jesus  Christ  is  infallibly  acceptable  to  the 
Eternal  Father. 

That  it  may  become  to  us  the  Body  ijt  and 
4-  Blood  of  Thy  most  beloved  Son,  Jesus  Christ 
our  Lord. 

These  words  express  the  essence  of  the  Sacri- 
fice offered  by  the  consecration,  and  the  essential 
change  in  the  matter  of  the  Sacrifice.  Bread  and  wine 
become  for  us  the  Body  and  Blood  of  Jesus  Christ.  For 
us,  that  is,  for  our  Salvation.  The  Angel  said  to  the 
shepherds  in  Luke  (ii.  n) :  "  For  this  day  is  born  to  you 
a  Saviour  who  is  Christ  the  Lord  in  the  city  of  David." 

This  prayer  is  accompanied  by  five  signs  of  the 
Cross.  They  are  made  over  the  bread  and  wine  at  the 
words,  blessed,  approved,  and  ratified ;  one  is  made 
over  the  host  alone  at  the  word  Body,  and  another  over 
the  chalice  at  the  word  Blood.  The  connection 
between  the  sign  of  the  Cross  and  the  Crucifixion  is 
evident.  The  first  three  signs  of  the  Cross  remind  us 
of  the  Blessed  Trinity,  by  whose  power  the  consecra- 
tion of  the  bread  and  wme  is  effected.  Some  pious 
souls  see  in  the  five  signs  of  the  Cross  a  reminder  of  the 
five  wounds  of  our  Lord. 


CONSECRATION  OF  THE  BREAD.  129 


I.  CONSECRATION    OF    THE  BREAD. 


INTRODUCTION  TO  THE  CONSECRATION. 

Qui  pridie  qnam  pateretur,  Who    the     day   before   He 

accepit  panem  in   sanctas  ac  suffered,    (he    takes   the    Host) 

venerabiles   manus   suas :     et  took  bread  into  His  holy  and 

elevatis  oculis  in  coelum  ad  te  venerable  hands  (he  raises  his 

Deum  Patrem  suum  omnipo-  eyes   to   heaven),  and  with  His 

tentem,tibigratiasagens,bene-  eyes  lifted  up  towards  heaven, 

4-  dixit,  fregit,  deditque  disci-  to  Thee,   God,  His  Almighty 

pulis  suis,  dicens  :     Accipite,  Father,  giving  thanks  to  Thee, 

et  manducate  ex  hoc  omnes.  did  bless,  >J»  break,  and  give 

Hoc     EST     ENIM       CORPUS  to  His  disciples,  saying :  Take 

MEUM.  and  eat  ye  all  of  this ; 

FOR  THIS  is  MY  BODY. 


EXPLANATION  OF  THE  INTRODUCTION  TO  THE 
CONSECRATION  OF  BREAD. 


Who  the  day  before  He  suffered  (the  Priest 
takes  the  Host)  took  bread  into  His  holy  and 
venerable  hands  (he  raises  his  eyes  to  heaven) 
and  with  His  eyes  lifted  up  towards  heaven,  to 
Thee,  God,  His  Almighty  Father,  giving  thanks 
to  Thee,  did  bless,  ^  break,  and  give  to  His 
disciples,  saying. 

The  words :  into  His  holy  and  venerable  hands, 
and  with  His  eyes  lifted  up  towards  heaven,  to 
Thee,  God,  His  Almighty  Father,  are  not  found 
in  the  Scriptural  Narrative:  Matthew  xxvi.  26 —  28: 
Mark  xiv.  22 — 24:  Luke  xxii.  19,  20  and  i  Cor.  xi. 
23 — 26,  but  come  to  us  through  the  tradition  of  the 
Church. 
J 


J3°  CONSECRATION  OF  THE  BREAD. 


We  must  distinguish  between  two  actions  of  our 
Lord,  giving  thanks  and  blessing.  Thanksgiving  was 
offered  to  His  Father,  the  author  of  all  good  ;  blessing 
was  intended  only  for  the  bread  and  wine  about  to  be 
changed  into  the  Body  and  Blood  of  Christ.  Break, 
our  Lord  is  thought  to  have  broken  the  portion  of 
unleavened  bread  into  twelve  or  thirteen  different 
pieces,  saying :  Take  and  eat  ye  all  of  this : 

FOR  THIS   IS   MY  BODY. 


EXPLANATION  OF  THE  WORDS  OF  CONSECRATION. 


For  gives  the  reason  why  Christ  asked  His  Apostles 
to  eat.  The  words  that  follow  must  be  taken  in 
their  plain  meaning.  The  word  this  means,  what 
I  show  you  at  this  moment  in  My  hands  and  what 
I  give  you — is  My  Body.  But  the  Body  of  Christ  is 
not  bread,  and  to  verify  our  Lord's  words  the  meaning 
must  be,  this  is  bread  no  longer  but  the  Body  of 
Christ.  To  say  that  the  expression  this  is  My  Body 
means  the  figure  of  My  Body,  is  the  same  as  saying 
this  is  My  Body,  means  this  is  not  My  Body.  For 
the  figure  of  the  Body  is  not  the  Body  itself.  There  is 
made  by  virtue  of  the  words,  this  is  My  Body,  the 
conversion  of  the  whole  substance  of  the  bread  into  the 
substance  of  the  Body  of  our  Lord,  the  species  or 
outward  appearances  alone  remaining,  and  this  con- 
version, the  Council  of  Trent  teaches,  is  suitably 
called  Transubstantiation.  But  as  the  Body  of  our 
Lord  cannot  exist  without  His  Blood  (for  a  bloodless 
body  is  dead,  and  Christ  can  die  no  more),  the  Body 
necessarily  brings  with  It  the  Blood,  and  the  Body 


CONSECRATION  OF  THE    WINE. 


and  Blood  are  necessarily  connected  with  the  Soul  and 
Divinity  of  our  Lord,  therefore  after  the  words  of 
Consecration  are  pronounced  at  Mass,  Christ  is  whole 
and  entire  under  the  appearance  of  bread.  Here  is 
the  whole  doctrine  of  Transubstantiation.  Man's  reason 
can  never  explain  it  nor  disprove  it.  It  remains 
the  mystery  of  Faith. 


II.   CONSECRATION   OF  THE  WINE. 


Simili  modo  postquam 
coenatum  est,  accipiens  et 
hunc  praeclarum  Calicem  in 
sanctas,  ac  venerabiles  manus 
suas  :  item  tibi  gratias  agens, 
bene»J«dixit,  deditque  disci- 
pulls  suis,  dicens  :  Accipite  et 
bibite  ex  eo  omnes. 

Hie  EST  ENIM  CALIX  SAN- 
GUINIS  MEI,  NOVI  ET  AETERNI 
TESTAMENTI  :  MYSTERIUM 
FIDEI  :  QUI  PRO  VOBIS  ET  PRO 
MULTIS  EFFUNDETUR  IN  RE- 
MISSIONEM  PECCATORUM. 

Haec  quotiescumque  fece- 
ritis,  in  mei  memoriam  fa- 
cietis. 


In  like  manner,  after  He 
had  supped  (he  takes  thechalice 
in  both  his  hands),  taking  also 
this  excellent  Chalice  into  His 
holy  and  venerable  hands, 
and  giving  Thee  thanks,  He 
bless»J.ed,  and  gave  to  His 
disciples,  saying :  Take  and 
drink  ye  all  of  This  : 

FOR  THIS  is  THE  CHALICE 
OF  MY  BLOOD  OF  THE  NEW  AND 
ETERNAL  TESTAMENT  :  THE 
MYSTERY  OF  FAITH  :  WHICH 
SHALL  BE  SHED  FOR  YOU,  AND 
FOR  MANY,  TO  THE  REMISSION 

OF  SINS. 

As  often  as  ye  do  these 
things,  ye  shall  do  them  in 
remembrance  of  Me. 


EXPLANATION  OF  THE  INTRODUCTION  TO  THE 
CONSECRATION  OF  WINE. 


In  like  manner,  after  He  had  supped  (the  priest 
takes  the  Chalice  in  both  his  hands),  taking  also  this 
excellent  Chalice  (so-called  from  the  surpassing 
treasure  of  the  Precious  Blood  it  is  meant  to  contain) 


1 32  CONSECRATION   OF   THE    WINE. 

into  His  holy  (as  the  hands  of  Jesus  Christ  essentially 
are,  as  the  hands  of  His  priest  are  by  anointing  at  ordi- 
nation) and  venerable  hands,  giving  Thee  thanks  (as 
before  the  Consecration  of  the  bread,  as  Man  to  His 
Father,  for  the  incomprehensible  gift  of  the  Eucharist), 
He  bless^-ed  it,  that  the  wine  might  be  worthy  to  be 
converted  into  His  Blood,  and  gave  to  His  disciples, 
saying,  Take  and  drink  ye  all  of  this :  For  this  is 
the  Chalice  of  My  Blood  of  the  New  and  Eternal 
Testament,  the  Mystery  of  Faith  ;  which  shall  be 
shed  for  you,  and  for  many,  to  the  remission  of  sins. 

EXPLANATION  OF  THE  WORDS  OF  THE  CONSECRATION 
OF  THE  CHALICE. 


Father  Suarez  says  that,  according  to  the  common 
opinion  of  theologians,  not  merely  the  words  of  the  form, 
this  is  the  Chalice  of  My  Blood,  but  all  the  words 
from  Take  to  remission  of  sins,  were  pronounced  by 
Jesus  Christ. 

The  words  which  consecrate  the  wine — this  is  the 
Chalice  of  My  Blood — correspond  to  this  is  My 
Body  in  the  consecration  of  the  bread.  The  Chalice 
of  My  Blood  means  the  Cup  or  Chalice  (used  for 
drinking)  which  contains  My  Blood.  Chalice  refers 
to  our  Lord's  words,  drink  ye  all  of  this.  The 
explanation  given  in  the  consecration  of  the  bread 
holds  good  for  the  consecration  of  the  wine.  After 
our  Lord  had  pronounced  the  words,  this  is  the  Chalice 
of  My  Blood,  according  to  their  plain  meaning,  wine 
was  converted  by  virtue  of  the  words  into  the  Blood 
of  Christ.  But  as  the  Blood  of  Christ  cannot  exist 
without  His  Body,  nor  the  Body  and  Blood  without 
His  Soul  and  Divinity,  we  have  consequently  the  Body 
and  Blood,  Soul  and  Divinity  of  our  Lord  whole  and 


CONSECRATION  OF  THE    WINE. 


entire  under  the  appearance  of  wine  as  under  the 
appearance  of  bread. 

The  Sacrament  of  the  Eucharist  is  complete  under 
one  kind,  since  under  either  kind  there  is  present  the 
whole  Christ. 

But  the  Consecration,  according  to  our  Lord's 
command,  must  ever  be  under  both  kinds,  since  it  is 
only  from  the  double  Consecration  that  the  Blessed 
Eucharist  has  the  character  of  a  Sacrifice.  The 
separate  Consecration  of  bread  and  wine  represents  in 
a  mystical  way  the  death  of  Christ,  the  parting  of  the 
Body  and  Blood  on  the  Cross.  That  Blood  was  shed 
really  on  the  Cross  :  mystically  in  the  institution  of  the 
Eucharist  and  daily  at  Mass  on  our  altars. 

The  Blood  in  the  Chalice  is  the  Blood  shed  on 
the  Cross  and  that  Blood  is  received  by  us  in  the 
Sacrament.  "The  Blood,"  says  St.  Thomas  (in.  q. 
78.  a.  3.  ad.  7.),  "  consecrated  apart  from  the  Body, 
more  closely  represents  the  Passion  of  Christ  and  there- 
fore more  suitably  in  the  Consecration  of  the  Blood 
than  of  the  Body  mention  is  made  of  the  Passion  of 
Christ  and  of  the  fruit  it  produced."  Chalice  in 
Scripture  sometimes  signifies  passion  as  in  St.  Matt. 
(xx.  22)  :  "  Can  you  drink  the  Chalice  which  I  shall 
drink  ?  "  (Ezec.  xxiii.  33  ;  St.  Luke  xxii.  22  ;  St.  John  xviii. 
n),  and  it  signifies  a  drink  in  Psalm  (xxii.  5):  "And 
my  Chalice  which  inebriateth  me,  how  goodly  it  is," 
and  in  Psalm  (Ixxiv.  g),  &c. 

The  words  of  the  New  and  Eternal  Testament 
contain  an  allusion  to  Exodus  xxiv.  8.  Testament  or 
Covenant,  the  original  (BiaO^Kt])  means  either.  As  the 
Old  Covenant  of  the  Law  was  dedicated  with  the  blood 
of  the  Sacrifice,  so  now  the  New  Covenant  of  the 
Gospel  is  to  be  dedicated  with  the  Blood  of  Jesus 
Christ. 


134  THE  ELEVATION  OF  THE  HOST  AND  CHALICE. 

The  Mystery  of  Faith.  These  words  according  to 
some  writers  (who  disagree  with  Suarez),  we  owe  to 
St.  Peter.  Transubstantiation  is  a  truth  above  reason 
which  we  take  on  the  authority  of  God's  word,  hence  a 
mystery  of  Faith.  The  words  which  shall  be  shed 
for  you  (the  clearest  assertion  of  the  Real  Presence) 
were  addressed  to  the  Apostles  then  before  out 
Saviour's  eyes.  And  for  many.  The  Blood  is  shed  foi 
all :  and  for  many  efficaciously — that  is,  many,  the  saved, 
reap  the  full  benefit  of  our  Lord's  death — while  the  lost, 
through  their  own  fault,  use  it  to  their  destruction. 

To  the  remission  of  sins.  These  words  express 
the  great  end  of  the  Sacrifice  of  the  Cross,  the  washing 
away  of  the  sins  of  the  world. 

After  pronouncing  the  words  of  Consecration  the 
priest,  laying  the  Chalice  on  the  Corporal  says,  As 
often  as  ye  shall  do  these  things,  ye  shall  do  them 
in  remembrance  of  Me.  The  Council  of  Trent  defines 
in  Sess.  xxii.  Can.  2.  that  by  these  words  our  Lord 
made  His  Apostles  priests,  and  prescribed  that  they  and 
other  priests,  their  successors  in  the  priesthood,  should 
offer  the  Sacrifice  of  His  Body  and  Blood. 

THE  ELEVATION   OF  THE   HOST  AND 
OF  THE  CHALICE. 


The  Church  has  ever  adored  the  Blessed  Sacrament 
from  the  time  of  Its  institution.  But  the  outward 
signs  by  which  the  Church  has  expressed  this  adoration 
have  not  always  been  the  same.  In  the  Greek  liturgies 
the  Elevation  of  the  Eucharist  takes  place  shortly 
before  the  Communion.  Formerly  in  the  Latin  Mass 
the  Blessed  Sacrament  was  elevated  only  at  the  words 


THE   FIRST   PART   OF   THE  PRAYER  T35 


omnis  honor  et  gloria  just  before  the  Pater  nosier. 
This  is  now  usually  known  as  "the  little  Elevation." 
The  Elevation  of  Host  and  Chalice  immediately  after 
Consecration  was  introduced  to  protest  against  the 
denial  of  Transubstantiation  by  Berengarius. 

The  Elevation  of  Host  and  Chalice  seems  to 
have  begun  as  an  act  of  reparation  about  noo  in 
France,  of  which  country  Berengarius  was  a  native; 
from  France  it  was  introduced  into  Germany,  and 
from  Germany  it  found  its  way  into  other  countries 
of  Europe.  At  first  only  the  Host  was  elevated  and 
afterwards  the  Chalice.  The  further  custom  of  ringing 
a  small  bell  at  the  Elevation  began  in  France  during 
the  twelfth  century,  and  about  the  same  time  the 
ringing  of  the  large  bell  at  the  conventual  Mass  was 
ordered  in  the  statutes  of  some  Monastic  Orders.  The 
bell  is  obviously  to  notify  the  solemn  moment  of  the 
Consecration. 

THE  FIRST  PART  OF  THE  PRAYER 
AFTER  THE  CONSECRATION. 


Unde  et  memores,  Domine.  Wherefore,  O  Lord,  we  Thy 

nos  servi  tui,  sed  et  plebs  tua  servants,   as   also  Thy    holy 

sancta,   ejusdem  Christi  Filii  people,   calling  to   mind  the 

tui  Domini  nostri  tarn  beatae  blessed   Passion  of  the  same 

Passionis,  necnon  et  ab  inferis  Christ  Thy  Son,  our  Lord,  His 

Resurrectionis,sed  etincoelos  Resurrection  from  the  dead, 

gloriosae  Ascensionis :  offeri-  and  glorious   Ascension   into 

mus  praeclarae  Majestati  tuae  Heaven,  offer  unto  Thy  most 

de  tuis  donis,  ac  datis,  Hos-  excellent  Majesty,  of  Thy  gifts 

tiam    •!•  puram,    Hostiam   •}«  and  grants,  a  pure  "^Victim, 

sanctam,  Hostiam  4-  immacu-  a  holy  •£•  Victim,  an  immacu- 

latam,  Panem  »J-  sanctum  vitae  late  •%•    Victim,   the    holy   •{« 

aeternae,  et  Calicem  «i«  salutis  Bread  of  eternal  life,  and  the 

perpetuae.                                  •  Chalice    »J«     of      everlasting 

salvation. 


I36  THE   FIRST  PART  OF  THE   PRAYER. 


This  prayer  is  divided  into  three  parts.  The 
prayer  begins  with  the  words,  Unde  et  memores 
("Wherefore,  O  Lord,  we  thy  servants"),  and  ends  with 
per  eumdem  Christum  Dominum  nostrum, "  through 
the  same  Christ  our  Lord,"  just  before  the  Memento  for 
the  Dead. 


EXPLANATION  OF  THE  FIRST  PART  OF  THE  PRAYER 
AFTER  THE  CONSECRATION. 


Father  Suarez  (Hi.  Disp.  75,  sect.  5,  n.  15),  says  that 
the  end  of  these  prayers  after  the  Consecration  is  tc 
implore  of  the  Father  to  accept  from  our  unworthy 
hands  the  Body  and  Blood  of  His  Divine  Son,  lest 
through  our  sins  the  fruit  of  the  Sacrifice  be  hindered, 
lessened,  or  lost. 

We  Thy  servants.  Priests  are  in  a  very  special 
way  the  servants  of  God,  and  attached  to  His  Sanctuary. 
The  use  of  the  plural  is  thought  by  some  writers  to 
refer  to  the  time  when  various  priests  were  said  to 
celebrate,  that  is,  to  perform  one  joint  action  with  a 
Bishop,  or  the  Pope,  celebrant  at  the  Mass.  This 
custom  is  referred  to  by  Pope  Innocent  III.  in  his  fourth 
book  on  the  Mass.  The  custom  seems  to  have  passed 
out  of  use  in  the  thirteenth  century.  The  only  vestige 
of  it  that  now  remains  is  to  be  found  in  the  Mass  at  the 
Ordination  of  a  priest  and  the  Consecration  of  a  Bishop. 
But  the  use  of  the  plural  in  we  Thy  servants  need  not 
refer  to  the  custom  at  all.  In  the  prayer  Te  igitur, 
which  begins  the  Canon  and  corresponds  closely  in 
form  to  the  present  prayer  the  plural  is  also  used  as  in 
the  Orate  fvatres  and  various  portions  of  the  Mass. 
Priest  and  people  pray  together. 


THE  FIRST  PART  OF  THE  PRAYER.  137 

The  words  Thy  holy  people  refer  to  the  grace  of 
Baptism.  Those  assisting  at  Mass,  though  not  ali 
perhaps  in  grace,  are  presumably  all  baptized  and  in 
that  sense  have  faith,  the  beginning,  foundation,  and 
root  of  all  holiness.  St.  Peter  speaks  of  Christians 
(i  Peter  ii.  10)  as  "  the  holy  people  of  God." 

Calling  to  mind  the  blessed  Passion  of  the  same 
Christ  Thy  Son  our  Lord,  His  Resurrection  from 
the  dead,  and  glorious  Ascension  into  Heaven.  The 
three  great  works  of  God  Incarnate  are  His  blessed 
Passion,  His  Resurrection  and  Ascension.  The  first 
kindles  our  love,  the  second  is  the  great  proof  of  our 
faith,  the  third  strengthens  our  hope.  Offer  unto  Thy 
most  excellent  Majesty,  of  Thy  gifts  and  grants. 
By  the  expression  gifts  and  grants  we  may  consider 
the  bread  and  wine  whose  substance  has  been 
converted  into  the  Body  and  Blood  of  our  Lord. 
The  words  may  also  be  referred  with  Bellannine  in 
the  Mass  (Bk.  ii.  ch.  34)  to  Christ  Himself  as  existing 
in  the  Eucharist,  the  noblest  Gift  and  Grant  of  God 
to  the  world.  Compare  the  words  in  the  Church's 
hymn,  Nobis  datus,  nobis  natus  ex  intacta  Virgine — 
"Given  to  us,  bornfoy  us  from  a  spotless  Virgin."  We 
offer  to  God  a  Pure^Victim,  a  HolyJ«Victim,  an 
Immaculate^Victim,  the  Holy-f-Bread  of  Eternal 
life,  and  the  Chalice^of  everlasting  salvation. 
Bread  is  used  in  our  Lord's  sense.  (John  m.  48.)  "  I 
am  the  living  bread."  The  Chalice  of  everlasting 
salvation  means  the  Blood  in  the  Chalice  which  is  shed 
for  our  everlasting  salvation. 

These  words  are  accompanied  by  five  signs  of  the 
Cross.  The  meaning  of  these  five  crosses  is  variously 
explained.  They  cannot  mean  a  blessing  conferred 
by  the  priest, who  is  a  sinner,  on  Jesus  Christ  infinitely 


138  THE  SECOND  PART  OF  THE  PRAYER. 

Holy.  The  signs  of  the  Cross  before  the  Consecration 
•really  bless  the  bread  and  wine  and  prepare  them  for 
transubstantiation ;  after  the  Consecration  they  are  to 
be  considered  as  Commemorations — they  are  in  memory 
of  Christ's  Passion.  The  five  crosses  may  be  piously 
referred  to  the  Five  Wounds  of  our  Lord.  (See 
Benedict  XIV.  De  Miss.  sect.  i.  c.  277.) 


THE  SECOND  PART  OF  THE  PRAYER. 


Extending  his  hands  the  Priest  proceeds  : 

Supra  quae  propitio  ac  Upon  which  vouchsafe  to 
sereno  vultu  respicere  dig-  look  with  a  propitious  and 
neris :  et  accepta  habere,  serene  countenance,  and  to 
sicuti  accepta  habere  dignatus  accept  them,  as  Thou  wert 
es  munera  pueri  tui  justi  Abel,  graciously  pleased  to  accept 
et  sacrificium  patriarchae  the  gifts  of  Thy  just  servant 
nostri  Abrahae,  et  quod  tibi  Abel,  and  the  sacrifice  of  our 
obtulit  summus  sacerdos  tuus  Patriarch  Abraham,  and  that 
Melchisedech,  sanctum  sacri-  which  Thy  high  priest  Melchi- 
ficium,  immaculatam  hostiam.  sedech  offered  to  Thee,  a  holy 

Sacrifice      and      a     spotless 
Victim. 

EXPLANATION   OF   THE    PRAYER. 


As  already  stated,  though  in  Itself  the  Adorable 
Victim  on  the  altar  is  of  infinite  value,  nevertheless 
the  Church  prays  that  the  Victim  be  accepted  from  a 
sinner's  hands  with  a  propitious  and  serene  counten- 
ance. 

The  gifts  of  Thy  just  servant  Abel— the  allusion 
is  to  Genesis  (iv.  4),  where  it  is  said  that  the  Lord 
accepted  Abel  and  his  offerings.  The  offerer  and 
offering  were  both  acceptable. 


THE  THIRD   PART  OF   THE   PRAYER.  139 

The  sacrifice  of  our   Patriarch  Abraham — the 

allusion  is  to  Genesis  (xxii.),  when  Abraham  was  ready 
sword  in  hand  to  sacrifice  his  son  Isaac.  God  spared 
the  boy  and  blessed  Abraham.  The  offerings  of  Abel 
and  Abraham  are  figures  of  the  bloody  Sacrifice  of 
the  Cross.  Abel  offered  a  lamb,  the  figure  of  the  Lamb 
of  God,  and  was  put  to  death  by  Cain  as  Christ  was  put 
to  death  by  the  Jews.  (Heb.  xii.  24.)  Abraham  is  the 
father  of  all  believers  and  called  our  Patriarch  because 
to  him  was  given  paternity  over  the  nations :  "  and  in 
thy  seed  shall  the  nations  of  the  earth  be  blessed." 

That  which  Thy  high  priest  Melchisedech 
offered  to  Thee,  a  holy  Sacrifice,  a  spotless 
Victim. 

Melchisedech  is  the  figure  of  the  Eternal  High 
Priest  Jesus  Christ.  The  sacrifice  of  Melchisedech 
was  of  bread  and  wine  (Genesis  xiv.  18),  and  therefore 
a  figure  of  the  unbloody  Sacrifice  of  the  Mass,  where 
our  Lord  is  offered  under  the  appearances  of  bread  and 
wine. 

The  words  a  holy  Sacrifice,  a  spotless  Victim 
were  added  by  St.  Leo  the  Great  and  refer  to  the 
sacrifice  of  Melchisedech :  not  that  the  sacrifice  or  host 
in  his  case  was  holy  or  spotless,  but  in  so  far  as  it  pre- 
figured the  spotless  Sacrifice  of  the  Mass. 

THE  THIRD   PART  OF   THE   PRAYER. 


Bowing  down  profoundly,  with  his  hands  joined  and  placed 
upon  the  Altar,  the  Priest  says : 

Supplices  te  rogamus,  omni-  We   most    humbly  beseech 

potens  Deus:  jube  haec  per-  Thee,  Almighty  God,  let  these 

ferri  per  manus  sancti  Angeli  offerings    be   carried    by   the 

tui  in  sublime  altare  tuum,  in  hands   of  Thy  holy  Angel  to 


t4o  fHE   THIRD  PART  OF  THE  PRAYER. 

conspectu  divinae  Majestatis  Thy  Altar  on  high,  in  the  sight 

tuae :   ut  quotquot  (Osculatur  of  Thy   divine  Majesty,  that 

Altare)   ex  hac  altaris  partici-  as   many  of  us   (he  kisses  the 

patione,  sacrosanctum  Filii  tui  Altar)   as  by  participating  in 

Cor«f"pus       et     San»J«guinem  this  Altar,  shall   receive   the 

sumpserimus,  omni  benedicti-  most     sacred  ^  Body     and*f- 

one  coelesti  et  gratia  replea-  Blood   of  Thy   Son,   may  be 

mur.     Per  eumdem  Christum  filled  with  all  heavenly  bless- 

Dominum  nostrum.     Amen.  ing  and  grace.    Through  the 

same  Christ  our  Lord.  Amen. 


EXPLANATION  OF  THE  PRAYER. 


The  Church  begs  by  the  words,  these  offerings, 
that  the  mystical  body  of  the  faithful  with  their 
needs,  labours,  pains  and  prayers  and  the  adorable 
Body  and  Blood,  so  far  as  It  is  offered  by  us, 
may  be  carried  to  Thy  altar  on  high,  that  is,  to 
Heaven,  by  Thy  holy  Angel,  either  the  angel  guardian 
of  the  priest,  or  of  the  altar,  or  of  the  Church,  or 
some  special  angel  deputed  to  assist  at  the  Sacrifice, 
or  in  general  by  the  hands  of  Thy  angels,  the 
singular  being  put  for  the  plural.  Their  office  is  to 
present  to  God  the  prayers  of  men,  and  our  offering 
united  to  theirs  will  merit  the  Divine  favour. 

We  desire  our  prayers  to  be  carried  to  the  Father 
with  the  intention  that  as  many  of  us  (the  priest 
kisses  the  altar)  as  by  participating  in  this  Altar, 
shall  receive  the  most  sacred^Body  and-J-Blood  of 
Thy  Son,  may  be  filled  with  all  heavenly  blessing 
and  grace. 

On  the  altar  lies  the  Body  and  Blood  of  Christ  soon 
to  be  our  Food  and  Drink.  The  Church  begs  the  Eternal 
Father  that  the  action  of  sinful  men  in  offering  the 
Adorable  Sacrifice  may  be  mercifully  accepted  by  Him, 
then  all  heavenly  blessing  and  grace  is  to  be 


THE  MEMENTO   FOR   THE   DEAD.  141 


expected   from  this   Heavenly   Banquet    and  Sacrifice 
through  the  same  Christ  our  Lord. 

The  profound  inclination  of  the  priest  in  reciting 
this  prayer  signifies  the  humility  and  earnestness  of  the 
petition. 

THE   MEMENTO   FOR  THE   DEAD. 


Memento    etiam,    Domine.         Be  mindful,  O  Lord,  of  Thy 

famulorum,       famularumque,  servants,  men  and  women,  N. 

tuarum  N.  et  N.  qui  nos  prae-  and  A7.,  who  are  gone  before 

cesserunt  cum  signo  fidei,  et  us  with  the  sign  of  Faith,  and 

dormiunt  in  somno  pacis.  sleep  in  the  sleep  of  peace. 

He  prays  for  stick  of  the  Dead  as  he  intends  to  pray  for  : 

Ipsis,  Domine,  et  omnibus  in  To  these,  O  Lord,  and  to  all 

Christo  quiescentibus,  locum  that  rest  in  Christ,  grant,  we 

refrigerii,  lucis    et    pacis,   ut  beseech  Thee,  a  place  of  re- 

indulgeas,  deprecamur.     Per  freshment,  light,  and   peace, 

eumdem  Christum  Dominum  Through  the  same  Christ  our 

nostrum.     Amen.  Lord.     Amen. 

The  practice  of  praying  for  the  dead  at  Mass  dates 
almost  from  Apostolic  times.  The  Memento  for  the 
Dead  in  the  Roman  Rite  of  the  ninth  century  was 
omitted  on  Sundays,  and  only  said  on  week-days. 
Ovdo  I.  says  nothing  of  the  reading  of  the  diptychs  in 
Rome.  The  celebrant  commemorated  the  dead  in  the 
Canon  silently  as  now.  We  know  that  the  diptychs 
were  read  in  Naples  in  the  ninth  century.  (See  Ordo  /., 
Introduction  and  notes  by  Mr.  Atchley,  p.  101.) 

The  Memento  for  the  Living  is  placed  before  the  Con- 
secration. The  living  can  join  in  offering  the  Sacrifice 
with  the  priest ;  the  dead  cannot  offer  the  Sacrifice,  they 
can  only  benefit  by  its  fruits,  especially  by  the  satis- 
factory power  of  the  Mass.  The  Memento  for  the  Dead 
comes  after  the  Consecration,  when  the  Lamb  is  mysti- 
cally slain,  reduced  to  the  state  of  a  victim. 


i42  THE  MEMENTO   FOR   THE   DEAD. 


EXPLANATION  OF  THE  MEMENTO  FOR  THE  DEAD. 


Be  mindful,  O  Lord,  of  Thy  servants,  men  and 
women,  N.  and  N.,  who  are  gone  before  us  with  the 
sign  of  Faith,  that  is  with  the  character  of  Baptism 
on  their  soul,  and  sleep  in  the  sleep  of  peace.  Our 
Lord's  own  name  for  death  is  sleep — "  the  girl  is  not 
dead,  she  sleeps."  We  too  speak  of  cemetery,  which 
means  the  sleeping-place. 

The  priest  in  his  private  capacity  may  here  pray  for 
any  soul  who  has  left  this  earth,  even  for  such  as 
died  in  the  very  act  of  sin.  At  the  last  they  may  have 
found  mercy. 

To  these,  O  Lord,  and  to  all  that  rest  in 
Christ,  that  is,  who  died  in  the  grace  of  God  free  from 
serious  sin,  grant,  we  beseech  Thee  (the  Church 
returns  to  her  earnest  and  humble  entreaty,  we  beseech 
Thee)  a  place  of  refreshment — refrigerittm,  a  cooling 
from  the  heat  of  the  fire  and  from  the  fever  of 
the  agony  of  loss.  The  word  indicates  relief  from 
the  double  pain  of  sense  and  loss.  Place  of  light, 
that  is  Heaven,  as  Hell  is  the  place  of  darkness.  Place 
of  peace — that  is  perfect  peace.  For  there  is  peace  in 
Purgatory  from  the  certainty  of  salvation,  through 
freedom  from  sin  and  from  the  love  and  sympathy  of 
the  suffering  souls,  but  the  peace  is  imperfect.  In 
Heaven  only  is  perfect  rest  and  peace. 


THE  THIRD  PRAYER  AFTER  THE  CONSECRATION.     '43 


THE  THIRD  PRAYER  OF  THE  CANON 
AFTER  THE  CONSECRATION. 


Nobis  quoque  peccatoribus  And  to  us  also  sinners,  Thy 

famulis  tuis,    de   multitudine  servants,  hoping  in  the  multi- 

miserationum  tuarum  speran-  tude  of  Thy  mercies,  vouchsafe 

tibus,partem  aliquam  etsocie-  to  grant  some  part  and  fellow  - 

tatem    donare  digneris,   cum  ship  with  Thy  holy  Apostles 

tuis  sanctis  Apostolis  et  Mar-  and     Martyrs :      with     John, 

tyribus :     cum    Joanne,     Ste-  Stephen,  Matthias,  Barnabas,, 

phano,      Mathia,       Barnaba,  Ignatius,  Alexander,    Marcel- 

Ignatio,Alexandro,Marcellino,  linus,     Peter,    Felicitas,    Per- 

Petro,    Felicitate,     Perpetua,  petua,  Agatha,   Lucy,  Agnes, 

Agatha,   Lucia,  Agnete,  Cae-  Cecily,  Anastasia,  and  with  all 

cilia,  Anastasia     et    omnibus  Thy  Saints  :   into  whose  com- 

Sanctis  tuis;     intra    quorum  pany    we    beseech    Thee    to 

nos     consortium,   non     aesti-  admit  us,  not  by  weighing  our 

mator     meriti,     sed     veniae,  merits,  but  by  a   free  gift  of 

quaesumus,   largitor  admitte.  pardon.     Through  Christ  our 

Per   Christum   Dominum  no-  Lord, 
strum. 

EXPLANATION  OF  THE  PRAYER. 


After  praying  for  the  dead  who  are  resting  in  Christ,, 
the  Church  prays  for  the  living  whose  future  is  un- 
certain and  exposed  to  danger. 

And  to  us  also  sinners  (the  priest  slightly  raises  his 
voice)  hoping  in  the  multitude  of  Thy  mercies,vouch- 
safe  to  grant  some  part  and  fellowship  with  Thy 
holy  Apostles  and  Martyrs,  with  John  (St.  John  the 
Baptist),  Stephen  (the  first  martyr),  Matthias  (elected 
to  fill  the  place  of  Judas),  Barnabas  (companion  and 
fellow-labourer  with  St.  Paul),  Ignatius  (the  martyr, 
successor  to  Peter  in  the  see  of  Antioch),  Alexander 
(fifth  Pope  after  St.  Peter),  Marcellinus  (priest),  Peter 


144  THE   CONCLUSION   OF   THE   CANON. 


(exorcist  of  the  Roman  Church),  Felicitas  and  Per- 
petua  (two  youthful  heroines,  first  scourged  and  finally 
beheaded  A.D.  202),  Agatha  (virgin  and  martyr),  Lucy 
(martyred  304),  Agnes  (virgin  and  martyr,  at  thirteen), 
Cecily  (virgin  and  martyr;  through  her  love  of  singing 
the  Divine  praises,  represented  with  a  lyre),  Anastasia 
(martyr,  burnt  304),  and  with  all  Thy  Saints,  into 
whose  company,  we  beseech  Thee,  to  admit  us,  not 
by  weighing  our  merits,  but  by  a  free  gift  of  pardon, 
that  is,  we  have  no  claim  of  our  own,  we  trust  to  Thy 
mercy  to  freely  pardon  our  offences,  and  thus  to  obtain 
for  us  fellowship  with  Thy  Saints.  Through  Christ 
our  Lord. 


THE  CONCLUSION  OF  THE  CANON. 


The  preceding  prayer  closes  with  the  words  through 
Christ  our  Lord.  Amen  is  omitted  to  show  the  close 
connection  between  Jesus  Christ  our  Lord  and  the 
following  prayer : 

Per  quern  haec  omnia,  Do-  By  whom,   O    Lord,   Thou 

mine,     semper     bona     creas,  dost  always  create,  sanctify, »J« 

sancti^-ficas,  vivi^-ficas,  bene-  vivify,  ^  bless,  4-  and  grant  us 

4-dicis,  et  praestas  nobis.  all  these  good  things. 

He  uncovers  the  Chalice,  and  makes  a  genuflexion;  then. 
taking  the  Host  in  his  right  hand,  and  holding  the  Chalice 
with  his  left,  he  makes  with  the  Host  five  crosses,  saying : 

Per  ip»J«sum,  et  cum  ip^-so,  Through  Him,^.and  with 
et  in  ip.£«so,  est  tibi  Deo  Patri  Him, 4-  and  in  Him,-|«  is  to 
•£•  omnipotent!  in  unitate  Thee,  God  the  Father  •{.  Al- 
Spiritus •}•  Sancti,omnis honor  mighty,  in  the  unity  of  the 
et  gloria.  Holy  .£.  Ghost,  all  honour  and 

glory. 


THE  CONCLUSION  OF  THE  CANON.  145 

By  whom,  O  Lord,  Thou  dost  always  create, 
sanctify,  ^  quicken,  4*  bless,  4-  and  grant  us  all 
these  good  things.  At  the  crosses  the  priest  signs 
the  Sacred  Host  and  Chalice  together :  and  then  with 
the  Host  makes  five  crosses,  three  over  the  Chalice, 
and  two  between  it  and  himself,  at  the  same  time 
saying :  through  Him,  »J«  and  with  Him,  -J-  and  in 
Him,  4-  is  to  Thee,  God  the  Father^- Almighty,  in 
the  unity  of  the  Holy  Hh  Ghost,  all  honour  and 
glory  (here  the  priest  holds  the  Sacred  Host  over  the 
Chalice  and  slightly  elevates  both  together). 


EXPLANATION  OF  THE  PRAYER  WHICH  ENDS  THE  CANON. 


The  prayer  by  which  the  Canon  concludes  is 
divided  into  two  parts,  the  first,  from  by  whom, 
O  Lord,  to  good  things. 

Let  us  explain  the  first  part.  The  words  all  these 
good  things  include  the  bread  and  wine  existing  on 
the  altar  before  the  Consecration.  They  are  still 
through  the  species,  before  the  eyes  of  the  priest,  the 
veil,  as  it  were,  of  the  Body  and  Blood  of  Jesus  Christ. 
The  elements  of  bread  and  wine  are  created  ;  on  the  altar 
from  being  merely  natural  gifts  they  are  transformed 
into  heavenly  gifts,  the  Body  and  Blood  of  Jesus  Christ, 
and  as  such  become  our  inheritance  and  food.  The 
words  praestas  nobis — grant  us — refer  to  the  consecrated 
elements,  to  the  bread  and  wine  after  their  conversion 
into  the  Body  and  Blood  of  our  Lord. 

The  words  of  the  prayer  then  may  thus  be  explained 

— by  whom,  that  is,  by  Jesus  Christ  (Coloss.  i.   16), 

Thou  dost  always  create.    Create  may  refer  to  the 

bread  and  wine  before  Consecration,  or  it  may  refer  in 

K 


146  THE   CONCLUSION  OF  THE  CANON. 

a  wide  sense  to  Transubstantiation.  God  who  once 
created  the  Body  of  His  Son  from  a  Virgin,  daily  from 
bread  creates  the  Flesh  of  Christ  and  from  wine  the 
Blood  of  Christ. 

God  changes  by  the  same  Jesus  Christ  the  created 
gifts  of  bread  and  wine  into,  as  we  have  seen,  the 
Heavenly  gift  of  the  Eucharist.  This  essential  trans- 
formation is  presented  to  us  from  three  different  points 
of  view — by  whom,  O  Lord,  Thou  dost  always 
sanctify ;  bread  and  wine  reach  the  highest  degree  of 
sanctification  when  converted  into  the  Body  and  Blood 
of  the  all  Holy  God ;  quicken,  by  consecration  they 
become  the  living  Body  and  Blood  of  Jesus  Christ, 
the  foundation  of  all  true  life ;  lastly  bless,  the  bread 
and  wine  are  "  blessed  "  in  the  full  force  of  the  words 
when  converted  into  the  Body  and  Blood  of  Christ,  in 
Itself  infinitely  blessed,  and  the  fountain  whence  flows 
every  blessing  to  us.  God  grants  us  by  Jesus  Christ 
these  gifts  sanctified,  quickened,  and  blessed  as  a 
Sacrifice  and  a  Sacrament,  as  the  ransom  and  the 
nourishment  of  our  souls. 

A  much  more  profound  sense  attaches  to  these  words 
if  we  consider  the  bread  and  wine  as  representative  (by 
their  outward  appearance  at  least)  of  all  natural  pro- 
ductions. In  this  way  Jesus  Christ  in  Holy  Mass 
comes  before  us  as  the  Author  and  Dispenser  of 
the  gifts  of  nature  and  of  grace.  In  early  times,  and 
on  certain  feasts,  immediately  before  the  prayer,  by 
whom,  O  Lord,  Thou  dost  always  create,  a  blessing 
was  read  by  the  priest  over  the  fruits  of  the  earth,  which 
the  faithful  brought  with  them  and  laid  within  the 
sanctuary  much  in  the  same  way  as  we  now  place 
palms  on  Palm  Sunday.  These  offerings  included 
amongst  other  things,  articles  of  food,  bread,  wine, 
milk,  honey,  oil,  grapes,  and  fruit.  Such  gifts 


THE  CONCLUSION  OF  THE  CANON.  *47 

blessed  and  placed  near  the  altar,  could  certainly 
in  another  and  wider  sense  be  comprised  amongst  the 
good  things  created,  sanctified,  quickened,  blessed 
and  granted  through  Jesus  Christ.  A  vestige  of  the 
custom  of  earlier  ages  is  seen  in  the  blessing  of  the 
Holy  Oil  for  the  sick  by  the  Bishop  on  Maundy 
Thursday.  Before  saying  at  Mass  the  words  by  whom, 
O  Lord,  Thou  dost  always  create,  &c.,  the  Bishop 
exorcises  and  then  blesses  in  the  name  of  our  Lord 
Jesus  Christ  the  Oil  used  in  Extreme  Unction.  The 
moment  selected  by  the  Church  for  blessing  the  Holy 
Oil,is  the  Canon  of  the  Mass,  where  the  death  of  Jesus 
Christ  is  placed  before  our  eyes  in  the  double  conse- 
cration of  bread  and  wine.  The  Oil  is  blessed  after  the 
Nobis  quoque  peccatoribus,  in  which  the  Church  prays  that 
her  children  may  have  some  share,  in  spite  of  their 
sins,  with  the  saints  in  glory.  As  if  in  keeping  with 
her  request,  she  commands  her  Bishop  to  bless  then  the 
Oil  of  Extreme  Unction,  which  has  as  its  special  sacra- 
mental grace,  the  power  to  wash  away  the  remnants 
of  sin,  which  hinder  our  entrance  into  Heaven.  This 
close  union  between  these  blessings  and  the  Eucharistic 
Sacrifice  is  an  eloquent  testimony  to  the  belief  that 
the  Mass  is  the  centre  of  all  grace  and  benediction. 

We  now  come  to  the  second  part  of  the  prayer, 
through  Him,  >%*  and  with  Him,  >J«  and  in  Him,  •%* 
is  to  Thee,  God  the  Fathers-Almighty,  in  the  unity 
of  the  Holy  4-  Ghost,  all  honour  and  glory. 

We  must  bear  in  mind  the  two  natures,  Divine  and 
Human,  in  Jesus  Christ.  Through  Him  *J«,  that  is, 
through  Jesus  Christ,  the  Father  and  Holy  Ghost  are 
infinitely  glorified,  first  by  the  sacrifice  of  the  Man- 
God,  secondly,  because  the  homage  of  creatures  is  only 
acceptable  when  presented  through  Christ  the  one 


148  THE  CONCLUSION  OF  THE  CANON. 

mediator.  With  Him.»J«  The  Father  and  Holy 
Ghost  receive  all  honour  and  glory  with  the  Son,  for 
Christ  is  true  God.  In  Him.-!-  The  Father  and  Holy 
Ghost  are  glorified  in  Jesus  Christ  because  the  three 
Persons  of  the  Blessed  Trinity,  by  their  one  essence 
and  nature,  must  necessarily  receive  the  same  honour 
and  glory. 


THE  SIGNS  OF  THE  CROSS  MADE 
DURING  THIS   PRAYER. 


The  three  signs  of  the  Cross  made  over  the  Chalice 
at  the  words  sanctify,  quicken,  bless,  signify  the 
sanctification,  quickening,  and  benediction  caused  in  the 
bread  and  wine  by  conversion  into  Christ's  Body  and 
Blood  at  the  Consecration;  while  they  remind  us  of 
the  fulness  of  every  grace  which  the  Eucharist  bestows 
upon  the  Church.  After  the  prayer  a  sudden  change 
is  seen  in  the  Rubric.  For  the  priest  in  saying  the 
words  through  Him,  with  Him,  in  Him,  makes  the 
sign  of  the  Cross  three  times  over  the  Chalice,  not 
with  his  hand  but  with  the  Host,  and  at  the  mention 
of  the  Father  and  Holy  Ghost  makes  the  sign  of  the 
Cross  twice  between  the  Chalice  and  his  breast.  It  is 
extremely  difficult  to  give  a  satisfactory  explanation  of 
these  signs  of  the  Cross.  Perhaps,  as  Gihr  suggests 
(vol.  ii.  p.  367,  French  translation),  the  reason  is  that  as 
the  Son  is  mentioned  three  times  the  Cross  is  made  thrice 
over  the  Chalice  which  contains  His  Body  and  Blood. 
The  Cross  and  Crucifixion  are  distinctive  of  the  Second 
Person  of  the  Blessed  Trinity.  The  Crucifixion  of 
Christ,  whom  we  believe  to  be  present  in  the  Chalice. 


THE  CONCLUSION  OF  THE  CANON.  149 

is  represented  to  us  in  a  very  marked  way  in  the  sign 
of  the  Cross  made  by  His  own  Body.  That  Body  lay 
extended  on  the  tree  in  the  form  of  a  Cross.  "  Who 
His  ownself  bore  our  sins  in  His  Body  on  the  tree" 
(i  Peter  ii.  24).  But  why,  at  the  mention  of  the  Father 
and  the  Holy  Ghost,  is  the  sign  of  the  Cross  made 
outside  the  Chalice  ?  Possibly  to  show  (this  is  all 
we  can  say)  that  the  greatest  honour  rendered  to  the 
Father  and  the  Holy  Ghost,  is  through  the  Passion 
of  Christ,  which  we  commemorate  in  the  Eucharist. 

At  the  words  omnis  honor  et  gloria — all  honour 
and  glory,  the  priest  holds  the  Host  and  Chalice 
together  and  slightly  raises  both.  In  this  action  we 
have  the  Little  Elevation,  which  is  much  more  ancient 
than  the  Elevation  after  the  Consecration.  In  some 
countries,  e.g.,  Belgium,  the  bell  is  here  rung  three 
times. 

The  Canon  ends  with  the  words  per  omnia 
saecula  saeculorum — for  ever  and  ever,  to  which  the 
people  answer  Amen  through  the  server  or  choir.  The 
Canon  ends  in  a  burst  of  praise. 


150  THE  CONCLUSION  OF  THE  CANON. 


QUESTIONS  ON  CHAPTER  XIV. 
(p.  113  top.  134.) 

1.  Give  the  various  uses  of  the  word  Canon.    Why  was 
it  once  called  the  "  prayer"  and  "  action  "  ? 

2.  Of  what,  according  to  the  Council  of  Trent,  does  the 
Canon  consist  ?     When  did  it  reach  its  present  form  ? 

3.  How  do  you  divide  the  first  prayer  Te  igitur,  clemen- 
tissime  Pater  (We,  therefore,  humbly  pray  and  beseech  Thee, 
most  merciful  Father)  ? 

Explain  in  the  first  portion  of  the  prayer,  the  words,  gifts, 
presents,  unspotted  sacrifices,  orthodox  believers,  and  professors  of 
the  Catholic  Apostolic  faith. 

4.  What  is  the  object  of  the  Memento  for  the  Living  ? 
For  whom  can  the  priest  pray  ? 

5.  What  do  you  know  of  diptychs  ? 

6.  What  is  meant  by  "  within  the  action  "  ?     What  is  the 
drift  of  the  prayer  Communicantes  (communicating  with)  ? 

7.  Why  does  the  priest  spread  his  hands  over  the  Oblation 
at  the  Hanc  igitur  (We,  therefore,  beseech  Thee,  O  Lord)  ? 

8.  Explain  the  expression,  oblation  of  our  service.      Who 
introduced  the  last  three  petitions  in  the  prayer  ? 

9.  Explain  the  words  in  the  third  prayer  before  the  Con- 
secration, blessed,  approved,  ratified,  reasonable. 

10.  Explain  the  Consecration  of  the  bread  by  the  words, 
For  this  is  My  Body. 

n.  Why  is  there  the  double  Consecration  of  bread  and 
wine  ?  Explain  the  words  of  the  Consecration  of  the  wine. 

12.  What  is  meant  by  the  words,  New  and  Eternal  Testa- 
ment ;  by  mystery  of  faith  ;  and  for  many ;  to  the  remission  of 
sins  ? 


THE  CONCLUSION  OF  THE  CANON.  151 


QUESTIONS  FROM  p.  135  to  p.  149. 

13.  When  and  why  was  the  Elevation  of  Host  and  Chalice 
introduced  ? 

14.  How  do  you  divide  the  Prayer  after  the  Consecration  ? 

15.  Explain  the  words,  We  Thy  servants  :    Thy  holy  people: 
offer  of  Thy  gifts  and  grants  :  the  Chalice  of  everlasting  salvation. 
Why   are  five  signs  of  the    Cross  made  at  the  words  pure 
Victim,  &c.  ? 

16.  Explain  the  allusion  in  the  gifts  of  Thy  servant  Abel, 
the  sacrifice  of  Abraham  and  of  Melchisedech. 

17.  What  is  meant  by  the  Memento  for  the  Dead  ?     Can 
those  who  die  outside  the  Church  benefit  by  it  ? 

1 8.  Explain  the  words,  place  of  refreshment :  place  of  light  : 
place  of  peace. 

19.  Explain  the  apparent  gap  in  the  clause  which  begins, 
per  quern  haec  omnia  Domine  (By  whom,  O  Lord,  Thou  dost 
always  create). 

?,o.  Give  some  explanation  of  the  signs  of  the  Cross  made 
during  this  prayer. 


CHAPTER   the   FIFTEENTH. 


PART  THE  FOURTH. 
From  the  "  Pater  noster "  to  the  end  of  Mass. 


THE  OUR  FATHER  AND  ITS  SEQUEL 
THE  "LIBERA." 

THE  priest  after  the  Amen  of  the  server,  who  answers 
for  the  congregation,  says  Oremus,  the  solemn  invita- 
tion to  prayer,  and  begins  the  introduction  to  the 
Pater  nosier.  The  Pater  noster  is  contained  in  nearly 
all  the  old  Liturgies  and  it  is  generally  thought  to 
have  been  introduced  into  the  Mass  by  the  Apostles, 
at  the  command,  so  says  St.  Jerome,  of  our  Lord 
Himself.  "  But  we  say  the  Lord's  Prayer  directly 
after  the  Canon  for  the  following  reason :  because  it 
was  the  custom  of  the  Apostles  to  consecrate  the  sacri- 
ficial oblation  solely  with  this  prayer."  (St.  Gregory 
the  Great's  letter  to  John  Bishop  of  Syracuse,  about 

578.) 

Its  present  place  immediately  after  the  Canon  is 
due  to  St.  Gregory  the  Great.  In  the  Ambrosian  and 
Mozarabic  rite  the  Pater  is  said  after  the  Breaking  of 
the  Host. 

The  introduction  runs  thus:  Instructed  by  Thy 
saving  precepts,  and  following  Thy  divine  institu- 
tion, we  presume  to  say. 

St.  Luke  (xi.  i)  tells  us  that  the  disciples  said  to 
our  Lord  one  day:  "Teach  us  to  pray  as  John  also 
taught  his  disciples."  Hence  the  Church  says  that, 


THE  OUR   FATHER.  153 

instructed  by  Christ,  and  following  His  Divine  insti- 
tution, we  presume,  we  dare  to  call  Him  by  a  most 
tender  and  affectionate  title  which  otherwise  we  could 
not  venture  to  use,  namely,  Father. 

Praeceptis  salutaribus  mon-  Instructed  by  Thy  saving 

id,  et  divina  institutione  form-  precepts,  and  following  Thy 

ati,  audemus  dicere.  divine  institution,  we  presume 

to  say : 

Pater  noster,  qui  es  in  Our  Father,  who  art  in 

coelis :  sanctificetur  nomen  heaven,  hallowed  be  Thy 

tuum :  adveniat  regnum  tuum  :  Name  :  Thy  kingdom  come  ; 

fiat  voluntas  tua,  sicut  in  Thy  will  be  done  on  earth  as 

coelo,  et  in  terra.  Panem  nos-  it  is  in  heaven.  Give  us  this 

trum  quotidianum  da  nobis  day  our  daily  bread  :  and  for- 

hodie :  et  dimitte  nobis  debita  give  us  our  trespasses,  as  we 

nostra,  sicut  et  nos  dimitti-  forgive  them  that  trespass 

mus  debitoribus  nostris.  Et  against  us.  And  lead  us  not 

ne  nos  inducas  in  tentationem.  into  temptation. 

R.  Sed  libera  nos  a  malo.  R.  But  deliver  us  from  evil. 

The  Priest  says  in  a  low  voice: 

Amen.  Amen. 


EXPLANATION  OF  THE  OUR  FATHER. 


The  Our  Father  is  given  by  St.  Matthew,  in  chapter 
vi.,  as  a  portion  of  the  Sermon  on  the  Mount.  St.  Luke 
gives  it  in  chapter  xi.,  as  if  it  had  been  given  for  a 
second  time,  and  to  a  different  audience.  There  is 
a  slight  variation  between  the  form  in  St.  Matthew  and 
in  St.  Luke. 

In  the  first  portion  of  the  prayer  we  regard  God  as 
our  end ;  in  the  last  three  petitions  we  beg  the  removal 
of  all  obstacles  to  gaining  that  end. 

The  invocation  Father  is  to  give  us  hope  in  God 
as  first  and  foremost  an  affectionate  Father — who  art 


154  THE  OUR   FATHER. 

in  Heaven.  His  abode  brings  before  us  the  greatness 
and  majesty  of  God.  Hallowed  be  Thy  name.  These 
words  with  the  invocation  belong  to  perfect  charity,  by 
which  we  love  God  for  His  own  sake  and  desire  the 
glory  and  praise  of  God  from  all  creation. 

In  Thy  Kingdom  come,  we  pray  that  God  may 
reign  in  our  hearts  and  bring  us  to  Heaven.  We  con- 
sider Him  as  the  source  of  all  good  to  us. 

In  Thy  will  be  done  on  earth  as  it  is  in  Heaven, 
we  ask  that  God  may  give  us  the  grace  to  keep  from 
all  sin  by  the  perfect  fulfilment  of  His  will,  as  the 
blessed  fulfil  it  in  Heaven. 

In  give  us  this  day  our  daily  bread,  we  ask  our 
daily  nourishment  for  soul  and  body.  In  our  English 
Catholic  version  of  St.  Matthew's  Gospel,  we  have 
supersubstantial,1  which  is  taken  from  St.  Jerome's 
Latin  version ;  in  St.  Luke  we  have  daily.  In  St. 
Matthew  and  St.  Luke  the  Greek  word  is  the  same. 
It  means  for  the  day  now  coming  upon  us,  as  we  say 
"  for  the  next  twenty-four  hours."  Daily  bread 
may  also  refer  to  the  living  Bread  in  the  Eucharist 
— "  and  the  bread  that  I  will  give  is  My  flesh  for  the 
life  of  the  world,"  our  Lord's  words  in  St.  John  (vi.  52). 

The  next  three  petitions,  as  already  stated,  are  to 
remove  all  that  hinders  us  from  gaining  our  end. 

Forgive  us  our  trespasses  as  we  forgive  them 
that  trespass  against  us. 

St.  Matthew  has  debts,  but  sins  are  debts  for  which 
we  owe  restitution  to  God.  St.  Luke's  version  explains 
St.  Matthew. 

Lead  us  not  into  temptation,  that  is,  give 
us  grace  not  to  yield  to  any  temptation  which  you 
permit,  and  to  avoid  any  temptation  to  which  our 
corrupt  nature  attracts  us. 

1  Supersubstantial  means  excellent,  above  all  substances. 


SEQUEL   TO   THE   LORD'S   PRAYER.  155 

But  deliver  us  from  evil,  that  is,  from  all  evils  of 
soul  and  body,  or  from  the  evil  one,  which  seems  the 
more  correct  translation  of  the  Greek.  To  this  last 
petition  the  priest  answers  secretly,  Amen. 


SEQUEL  TO  THE  LORD'S  PRAYER. 


Libera     nos,     quaesumus  Deliver  us,  we  beseech  Thee, 

Domine,   ab   omnibus    malis,  O  Lord,  from  all  evils,  past, 

praeteritis,     praesentibus,    et  present,  and  to  come  :   and  by 

futuris  :  et  intercedente  beata  the  intercession  of  the  blessed 

et    gloriosa    semper    Virgine  and    glorious     Mary  ever    a 

Dei     Genitrice     Maria,     cum  Virgin,  Mother  of  God,  toge- 

beatis  Apostolis  tuis  Petro  et  ther  with  Thy  blessed  Apos- 

Paulo,      atque      Andrea,     et  ties     Peter     and     Paul,    and 

omnibus  Sanctis,  da  propitius  Andrew,  and   all  the  Saints, 

pacem   in  diebus  nostris ;   ut  mercifully  grant  peace  in  our 

ope  misericordiae  tuae  adjuti,  days :    that  by  the  assistance 

et   a  peccato     simus   semper  of   Thy    mercy  we    may    be 

liberi,  et  ab   omni  perturba-  always    free     from    sin,   and 

tione  securi.  secure  from  all  disturbance. 


EXPLANATION  OF  THE  SEQUEL. 


Deliver  us,  we  beseech  Thee,  O  Lord,  from  all 
evils,  past,  present,  and  to  come. 

This  prayer  is  the  Church's  addition  to  the  Our 
Father.  It  is  constantly  called  Embolismus,  or 
"  addition,"  by  ecclesiastical  writers.  We  ask  to  be 
delivered  from  all  evils  past,  that  is,  from  the  punish- 
ments due  even  to  forgiven  sin,  and  from  the  weakness 
and  tendency  to  sin  which  remain  after  the  guilt  has 
been  removed,  from  present  evils  and  from  those  which 
the  future  may  have  in  store. 

And  by  the  intercession  of  the  blessed  and 
glorious  Mary  ever  a  Virgin,  Mother  of  God, 


156  THE  BREAKING   OF  THE  HOST. 

together  with  Thy  blessed  Apostles  Peter  and 
Paul  (they  are  always  connected  in  the  services  of  the 
Church.  Andrew  is  added,  because  to  him  as  St.  Peter's 
brother,  the  Church  pays  special  reverence),  and  all 
the  Saints,  mercifully  grant  peace  in  our  days :  that 
by  the  assistance  of  Thy  mercy  we  may  be  always 
free  from  sin,  and  secure  from  all  disturbance  (of 
mind  and  body).  The  priest  places  the  paten  under  the 
Host,  uncovers  the  Chalice,  and  makes  a  genuflexion ; 
then,  rising,  he  takes  the  Host,  breaks  It  in  the  middle 
over  the  Chalice,  saying:  through  the  same  Jesus 
Christ  Thy  Son  our  Lord. 

THE  BREAKING  OF  THE  HOST. 


The  breaking  of  the  Host  is  a  ceremony  of  great 
importance  in  the  Mass.  At  Ordination  the  Bishop 
reminds  the  priest  to  learn  carefully  before  celebrating 
Mass  all  that  concerns  the  Consecration,  the  breaking  of 
the  Host,  and  the  Communion.  The  practice  of  breaking 
the  Host  comes  from  the  institution  of  Christ  and  the 
example  of  the  Apostles.  SS.  Matthew,  Mark,  and 
Luke  all  refer  to  the  breaking  of  bread.  In  the  early 
ages  of  the  Church  the  celebration  of  the  Mass  and  the 
Holy  Communion  were  called  the  breaking  of  bread. 
(Acts  ii.  42  ;  xx.  7,  ii ;  i  Coy.  x.  16.) 

Perhaps  too  the  breaking  of  the  Host  brings  before 
our  minds  the  violent  Death  of  Jesus  Christ — though  it 
is  needless  to  add  that  no  bones  were  broken  in  His 
Sacred  Body. 

By  the  Roman  rite  the  consecrated  Host  was  always 
divided  into  three  parts,  and  the  priest  consumes  all 
three  according  to  the  present  practice.  According  to 
ancient  usage  the  Hosts  were  much  larger  than  at 


THE  BREAKING   OF  THE  HOST.  157 

present ;  one  portion  was  dropped  into  the  chalice,  the 
second  was  consumed  by  the  celebrant,  deacon,  and 
subdeacon,  the  third  was  reserved  for  the  sick. 

After  the  words  through  the  same  Jesus  Christ 
Thy  Son  our  Lord,  Who  with  Thee  in  the  unity 
of  the  Holy  Ghost  liveth  and  reigneth  God,  the 
priest  places  half  the  Host  which  is  in  his  left  hand 
on  the  paten,  and  holding  the  particle  which  he  broke 
off  in  his  right  hand,  and  the  Chalice  with  his  left,  he 
says  per  omnia  saecula  saeculorum — for  ever  and 
for  ever. 

After  the  recital  of  the  Seqnel  to  the  Pater  nosier 
in  an  Episcopal  Mass  the  Archdeacon  who  assisted 
at  Mass  was  wont,  at  least  in  some  places,  to  turn  round 
to  the  congregation  and  intone  Humiliate  vos  ad 
benedictionem — Bow  down  for  the  Benediction — to 
which  the  rest  of  the  clergy  answered  Deo  gratias. 
The  Bishop  turned  to  the  people,  blessed  them  and 
perhaps  some  gifts  they  might  have  brought  to  be 
blessed. 

This  particular  or  special  blessing  did  not  interfere 
with  the  general  blessing  of  the  congregation  at  the 
end  of  Mass.  (Smith  and  Cheetham,  Dictionary  of 
Christian  Antiquities,  vol.  i.  p.  196.) 

After  Amen  the  priest  thrice  makes  the  sign  of  the 
Cross  over  the  Chalice  saying,  May  the  peace  of  ^  the 
Lord  be  >J<  always  with  ^  you,  the  server  answers, 
and  with  thy  spirit ;  and  the  priest  drops  the  conse- 
crated particle  into  the  Chalice  saying,  May  this 
mingling  and  consecration  of  the  Body  and  Blood 
of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  be  to  us  that  receive  It, 
effectual  to  eternal  life. 


158  THE  BREAKING   OF  THE   HOST. 


EXPLANATION  OF  THE  BREAKING  OF 
THE  HOST  AND  OF  THE  PRAYER. 


In  the  separate  Consecration  under  two  kinds,  the 
Body  and  Blood  of  our  Saviour  appear  to  us  distinct, 
the  separate  Consecration  represents  the  death  of  the 
Victim  caused  by  the  separation  of  the  Body  and  Blood. 
The  mingling  of  the  two  consecrated  Elements  expresses 
figuratively  that  in  reality  the  Body  is  not  separated 
from  the  Blood,  nor  the  Blood  from  the  Body;  under 
each  species  Christ  is  whole  and  entire,  one  Victim  and 
one  food.  The  mystical  reunion  of  the  Body  and 
Blood,  through  the  consecrated  particle  falling  into  the 
Chalice,  is  thought  also  to  represent  the  glorious  Resur- 
rection of  Jesus  Christ,  when  the  Soul  and  Body  were 
united  once  again. 


The  priest  as  he  drops  the  particle  into  the  Chalice 
says,  May  this  mingling  and  consecration  of  the 
Body  and  Blood  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  be 
to  us  that  receive  It,  effectual  to  eternal  life. 
These  words  have  been  variously  explained.  The  best 
explanation  is  to  refer  consecration  to  the  thing  con- 
secrated. The  sense  then  is — may  this  mingling  of  the 
consecrated  Body  and  Blood  of  Jesus  Christ  be  to  us 
effectual  in  gaining  life.  In  the  Ambrosian  rite,  the 
priest  says,  May  this  mingling  of  the  consecrated 
Body  and  Blood  of  Jesus  Christ,  be  to  us  who 
eat  It  and  drink  It,unto  life  and  joy  everlasting. 


THE  "AGNUS  DEL"  159 


THE  "AGNUS   DEI"  AND  THE   PRAYERS 
BEFORE  THE  PRIEST'S  COMMUNION. 


The  priest  covers  the  chalice,  genuflects,  and  rises  to 
say  three  times  the  Agnus  Dei. 

Since  the  Canon  no  prayer  has  been  addressed  to 
our  Lord,  because  in  this  portion  of  the  Mass  He  is  a 
Victim.  We  offer  a  victim — we  do  not  pray  to  it.  The 
words  Lamb  of  God  who  taketh  away  the  sins  of 
the  world  are  taken  from  the  Baptist's  description  of 
our  Lord  in  St.  John  i.  29.  Compare  the  Preface  for 
Easter  ;  "  He  is  the  true  Lamb  who  has  taken  away  the 
sins  of  the  world."  The  Paschal  Larnb  was  the  type — 
Christ  is  the  reality.  Lamb  of  God  means  either  Divine 
Lamb  or  Lamb  destined  by  God  for  the  Sacrifice. 
The  priest  asks  for  mercy  twice,  striking  his  breast 
in  sign  of  sorrow,  and  the  third  time  he  asks  for 
peace :  an  appropriate  request  as  he  is  on  the  point  of 
receiving  the  Author  of  peace. 

In  Mass  for  the  Dead  the  Church,  instead  of  mercy, 
implores  rest,  and  everlasting  rest  instead  of  peace  for 
the  faithful  departed,  who  are  restless  in  their  yearning 
for  God. 


i6o 


THE  PRAYER  FOR  PEACE. 


THE  PRAYER  FOR  PEACE  AND  THE 
PRAYERS  BEFORE  THE  COMMUNION. 


The  following  prayers  up  to  the  Communion  are 
addressed  to  Christ  present  in  the  Blessed  Sacrament 
on  the  altar.  The  first  is  the  prayer  for  Peace. 


Domine  Jesu  Christe,  qui 
dixisti  Apostolis  tuis:  pacem 
relinquo  vobis,  pacem  meam 
do  vobis :  ne  respicias  peccata 
mea,  sedfidem  Ecclesiaetuae: 
eamque  secundum  voluntatem 
tuam  pacificare  et  coadunare 
digneris.  Qui  vivis  et  regnas 
Deus,  per  omnia  saecula 
saeculorum.  Amen. 


Lord  Jesus  Christ,  who 
saidst  to  Thy  Apostles,  Peace  I 
leave  to  you,  My  peace  I  give 
unto  you ;  look  not  on  my 
sins,  but  on  the  faith  of  Thy 
Church ;  and  vouchsafe  to  it 
that  peace  and  unity  which  is 
agreeable  to  Thy  will.  Who 
livest  and  reignest  God  for 
ever  and  ever.  Amen. 


Domine  Jesu  Christe,  Fili 
Dei  vivi,  qui  ex  voluntate 
Patris,  cooperante  Spiritu 
Sancto,  per  mortem  tuam 
mundum  vivificasti :  libera  me 
per  hoc  sacrosanctum  Corpus 
et  Sanguinem  tuum,  ab  omni- 
bus iniquitatibus  meis,  et 
universis  malis :  et  fac  me 
tuis  semper  inhaerere  mand- 
atis,  et  a  te  nunquam  separari 
permittas.  Qui  cum  eodem 
Deo  Patre,  et  Spiritu  Sancto 
vivis  et  regnas  Deus  in  sae- 
cula saeculorum.  Amen. 


Perceptio  Corporis  tui,  Do- 
mine Jesu  Christe,  quod  ego 


Lord  Jesus  Christ,  Son  of 
the  living  God,  who  accord- 
ing to  the  will  of  the  Father, 
through  the  co-operation  of 
the  Holy  Ghost,  hast  by  Thy 
death  given  life  to  the  world  ; 
deliver  me  by  this  Thy  most 
sacred  Body  and  Blood  from 
all  mine  iniquities  and  from 
all  evils,  and  make  me  always 
adhere  to  Thy  command- 
ments, and  never  suffer  me  to 
be  separated  from  Thee.  Who 
with  the  same  God  the  Father 
and  Holy  Ghost  livest  and 
reignest  God  for  ever  and 
ever.  Amen. 

Let  not  the  receiving  of 
Thy  Body,  O  Lord  Jesus 


THE  PRAYER  FOR  PEACE.                         161 

7'ndignus    sumere    praesumo,  Christ,  which  I,  unworthy,  pre- 

non   mihi   proveniat   in  judi-  sume  to  receive,  be  to  me  unto 

cium  et  condemnationem  :  sed  judgment  and  condemnation  ; 

pro  tua  pietate  prosit  mihi  ad  but   through    Thy   goodness, 

tutamentum    mentis   et    cor-  may  It  be  to  me  a  safeguard 

poris,  et  ad  medelam  percipi-  and  remedy,  both  of  soul  and 

endam.     Qui  vivis  et  regnas  body.     Who    with    God   the 

cum   Deo    Patre    in    unitate  Father,  in  the    unity  of  the 

Spiritus     Sancti     Deus,    per  Holy  Ghost,  livest  and  reign- 

omnia    saecula    saeculorum.  est  God  for  ever  and    ever. 

Amen.  Amen. 


EXPLANATION  OF  THE  PRAYER  FOR  PEACE. 


Lord  Jesus  Christ.  The  full  title ;  Lord,  means 
Supreme  Master,  Jesus  Saviour,  Christ  the  Anointed, 
Who  saidst  to  Thy  Apostles,  Peace  I  leave  to 
you,  My  peace  I  give  unto  you.  St.  Augustine 
defines  peace  as  tranquillitas  ordinis — the  calm  where 
order  reigns.  There  is  perfect  peace  and  perfect  order 
in  Heaven,  imperfect  on  earth  :  none  in  Hell,  nullus 
ordo,  no  order  there.  Look  not  on  my  sins,  but  on 
the  faith  of  Thy  Church.  The  faith  referred  to  here 
is  in  its  fullest  meaning,  faith  perfected  by  charity. 
And  vouchsafe  to  it  that  peace  and  unity  (amongst 
its  members)  which  is  agreeable  to  Thy  will,  who 
livest  and  reignest,  God,  for  ever  and  ever.  Amen. 


EXPLANATION  OF  THE  Two  PRAYERS  BEFORS 
THE  COMMUNION. 


These  two  prayers  are  addressed  to  our  Lord  on  the 
altar  by  the  priest  for  whom  they  are  specially  meant, 
and  form  his  preparation  for  Communion.  Their  beauty 
and  tenderness  cannot  be  surpassed.  Lord  Jesus 


162    THE  TWO  PRAYERS  BEFORE   THE  COMMUNION 

Christ,  Son  of  the  living  God.  Again  our  Lord's  full 
title  is  given,  Living  God,  compare  St.  Peter's  Con- 
fession and  our  Lord's  blessing  for  that  Confession, 
"  Thou  art  the  Christ,  the  Son  of  the  living  God, 
Blessed  art  thou,  Simon  Bar-Jona  "  (St.  Matt.  xvi.  16). 
Living  God  means  true  God,  the  Source  of  all  life  and 
truth,  who,  according  to  the  will  of  the  Father, 
through  the  co-operation  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  hast 
by  Thy  death  given  life  to  the  world. 

The  work  of  our  redemption  has  been  accomplished 
by  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  with  the  co-operation  of  the 
Father  and  of  the  Holy  Ghost.  The  Father  gave  His 
only-begotten  Son  to  redeem  the  world ;  Jesus  Christ, 
out  of  love  to  His  Father,  was  obedient  unto  death ; 
the  Holy  Ghost  formed  the  Sacred  Body  of  our  Lord 
from  a  Virgin's  flesh,  and  inspired  the  human  will  of 
Christ  to  offer  His  life  for  us,  and  by  His  death  Christ 
gave  life  to  the  world. 

Deliver  me — the  priest  prays  for  himself — by  this 
Thy  most  Sacred  Body  and  Blood,  which  are 
present  to  the  eye  of  faith,  from  all  mine  iniquities 
— past  and  present  sins,  in  themselves  and  in  their 
consequences — and  from  all  evils,  now  and  in  the  • 
future. 

The  first  request,  Deliver  me,  is  made  in  view  of 
the  Eucharist  as  a  Sacrifice.  Make  me  always 
adhere  to  Thy  commandments,  and  never  suffer 
me  to  be  separated  from  Thee.  The  second  request 
is  in  virtue  of  the  Eucharist  as  a  Sacrament.  Whor 
with  the  same  God  the  Father  and  Holy  Ghost, 
livest  and  reignest  God  for  ever  and  ever.  Amen. 


THE  TWO  PRAYERS  BEFORE  THE  COMMUNION.     163 

Let  not  the  receiving  of  Thy  Body,  O  Lord  Jesus 
Christ,  which  I,  unworthy,  presume  to  receive, 
be  to  me  unto  judgment  and  condemnation. 

Judgment  here  means  unfavourable  judgment  (Compare 
St.  Paul  i  Cor.  xi.  29),  "  For  he  that  eateth  and  drinketh 
unworthily,  eateth  and  drinketh  judgment  to  himself;" 
and  our  English  expression,  "  That  man  will  rise  in 
judgment  against  you."  But  through  Thy  goodness 
may  It  be  to  me  a  safeguard  and  remedy,  both  of 
soul  and  body — the  Eucharist  consecrates  the  whole 
man,  not  merely  the  soul  but  the  body  also.  Six 
Sacraments  sanctify  the  body  indirectly  through  the 
soul ;  the  Eucharist  directly  and  immediately  sanctifies 
the  flesh  of  man,  hence  the  Eucharist  is  the  best  remedy 
against  impurity,  and  the  best  guardian  of  chastity. 
Who  with  God  the  Father,  in  the  unity  of  the  Holy 
Ghost,  livest  and  reignest  God  for  ever  and  ever. 
Amen. 

In  the  above  prayer  the  priest  first  confesses  his 
own  unworthiness  and  then  he  earnestly  begs  our  Lord 
to  save  him  from  the  misfortune  of  a  sacrilegious  Com- 
munion and  to  grant  him  in  abundance  the  graces  of 
a  fervent  Communion. 


164  THE  PRIEST'S  COMMUNION. 


THE  PRIEST'S  COMMUNION. 


Before  communicating  the  priest  says :  I  will 
take  the  Bread  of  Heaven  and  call  upon  the  name 
of  the  Lord  (the  Eucharist  is  called  the  Bread  of 
Heaven — compare  our  Lord's  words  :  "I  am  the  Living 
Bread  which  came  down  from  Heaven  ").  Next  the  priest 
takes  the  Host  and  paten  in  his  left  hand,  and  striking 
thrice  his  breast  with  his  right,  he  says  three  times  the 
words  of  the  Centurion,  in  St. Matt.  viii.  8  :  Lord,  I  am 
not  worthy  that  Thou  shouldst  enter  under  my 
roof,  but  only  say  the  word  and  my  soul  shall  be 
healed. 

He  then  takes  the  Host  in  his  right  hand,  and 
making  the  sign  of  the  Cross  with  the  Host,  says  : 
May  the  Body  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  preserve 
my  soul  unto  life  everlasting.  Amen.  The  priest 
communicates  himself.  He  collects  on  the  paten  any 
particles  of  the  Sacred  Host  that  may  have  fallen  on 
the  corporal,  and  with  his  fingers  transfers  them  into 
the  chalice.  Next  with  his  right  hand  he  takes  the 
chalice,  saying  the  words  from  the  H5th  and  i7th 
Psalms:  What  shall  I  render  to  the  Lord  for  all 
He  has  rendered  to  me  ?  I  will  take  the 
Chalice  of  Salvation  and  call  upon  the  name 
of  the  Lord;  I  will  call  upon  the  Lord  and  I 
shall  praise  Him  and  shall  be  saved  from  my 
enemies  (that  is,  from  all  three,  the  world,  the  flesh, 
and  the  devil). 


THE  ABLUTIONS.  165 


He  makes  the  sign  of  the  Cross  with  the  chalice, 
saying :  The  Blood  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ 
preserve  my  soul  to  everlasting  life.  Amen. 

He  receives  the  Precious  Blood  with  the  particle, 
and  next  communicates  the  faithful  who  may  present 
themselves  at  the  sacred  table. 

The  Communion  of  the  priest  under  both  kinds 
belongs  to  the  completeness,  not  to  the  essence  of  the 
Sacrifice.  The  Communion  of  the  priest  is  a  grave 
obligation  and  can  never  be  omitted.  Should  the  priest 
die  or  faint  at  the  altar  after  the  Consecration,  the 
Mass,  as  we  have  seen,  must  be  continued  if  possible 
by  a  priest  who  has  not  broken  his  fast ;  where  this  is 
impossible,  a  priest  even  after  food  should  finish  the 
Mass  and  receive  under  both  kinds. 


THE   ABLUTIONS. 


The  ablutions  are  the  wine  and  water  poured  into- 
the  chalice  by  command  of  the  Church  out  of  reve- 
rence to  the  Eucharist,  so  as  to  secure  the  priest 
receiving  any  portion  of  the  Sacred  Host  or  any 
drop  of  the  Precious  Blood  which  may  have  clung 
to  the  chalice. 

While  the  wine  is  being  poured  into  the  chalice  the 
priest  says  the  following  prayer : 


1 66  THE   ABLUTIONS. 

Quod  ore  sumpsimus,  Do-  Grant,  Lord,  that  what  we 
mine,  pura  mente  capiamus :  have  taken  with  our  mouth, 
et  de  munere  temporali  fiat  we  may  receive  with  a  pure 
nobis  remedium  sempiternum.  mind  ;  and  of  a  temporal  gift 

may  it  become    unto   us   an 
eternal  remedy. 

Strictly  speaking,  the  wine  poured  into  the  chalice 
after  the  priest  has  drunk  the  Precious  Blood  is  called 
the  purification  ;  the  wine  and  water,  which  cleanse 
the  fingers  and  rinse  the  chalice  a  second  time,  are 
called  the  ablution.  Celebrans  tune  sumpta  purification*, 
lavat  digitos  et  sumit  ablutionem.  (Caerem.  Episcop.  1.  2, 
c.  29,  n.  8.) 

At  Holy  Communion  we  eat  and  drink  the  Body 
and  Blood  of  Jesus  Christ.  The  Eucharist  is  called  "  a 
temporal  gift "  both  as  a  Sacrifice  and  as  a  Sacrament. 
The  Sacrifice  is  offered  on  earth :  the  Eucharist  as  a 
Sacrament,  that  is,  our  Lord  under  the  appearance 
of  bread  and  wine,  does  not  exist  in  Heaven,  only  on 
earth — hence  temporal.  Nevertheless  it  is  an  eternal 
remedy,  because  it  preserves  us  from  evil  and  gains 
for  us  eternal  life. 

Wine  and  water  are  next  poured  into  the  chalice 
and  the  priest  says  : 

Corpus  tuum,  Domine,  quod  May  Thy   Body,   O   Lord, 

sumpsi,     et     Sanguis,    quern  which  I   have  received,  and 

potavi,   adhaereat   visceribus  Thy  Blood  which  I  have  drunk, 

meis:  et  praesta,ut  in  me  non  cleave  to  my  heart,  and  grant 

remaneat    scelerum    macula,  that    no    stain    of   sin    may 

quern  pura  et  sancta  refece-  remain  in  me,  who  have  been 

runt  sacramenta.    Qui  vivis  et  refreshed  with  pure  and  holy 

regnas  in  saecula  saeculorum.  sacraments.    Who  livest,  etc. 

Amen.  Amen. 


THE   PRIEST'S   THANKSGIVING.  167 


EXPLANATION  OF  THE  PRAYER. 


The  Body  and  Blood  of  Jesus  Christ  remain  in  us 
so  long  as  the  sacramental  species  are  not  destroyed. 
The  Church  asks  that  the  sacramental  grace  may  not 
pass  rapidly  as  earthly  food,  but  cling  to  us,  filling  us 
with  Jesus  Christ,  and  she  prays  that  no  stain  or  shadow 
•of  sin  may  remain  in  the  heart,  that  has  been  refreshed 
by  the  holy  sacraments.  The  plural  form  "sacraments" 
is  supposed  by  some  to  indicate  the  two  species  of 
bread  and  wine.  Sacraments,  however,  in  the  language 
of  the  Church  often  mean  sacred  mysteries.  We 
do  not  find  "  sacrament "  in  its  technical  sense  of  an 
outward  sign  of  an  inward  grace  before  the  twelfth 
century.  In  various  Postcommunions  we  find  the 
Eucharist  called  mysteries,  divine  sacraments,  gifts  of 
a  sacred  mystery,  heavenly  gifts,  heavenly  nourish- 
ment, &c. 


THE    PRIEST'S    THANKSGIVING. 


THE  COMMUNION  AND  THE  POST- 
COMMUNION. 


The  antiphon  or  verse  which  the  priest  reads  from 
the  Missal  at  the  Epistle  side  of  the  altar  after  com- 
municating is  called  the  Communion.  Like  the 
Offertory  before  the  Oblation  of  bread  and  wine,  the 
Communion  is  the  remnant  of  a  much  longer  psalm 


168  THE  COMMUNION. 

which  was  formerly  chanted,  probably  from  the  fourth 
century  to  the  twelfth,  while  Communion  was  given  to 
the  clergy  and  faithful.  After  the  twelfth  century  the 
psalm  was  discontinued  during  the  administration  of 
Communion  and  became  a  part  of  the  priest's  thanks- 
giving. In  time  the  psalm  was  cut  down  to  the  antiphon, 
which  still  keeps  its  name  of  Communion,  thus  indicating 
its  origin  and  use.  (Gihr,  English  translation,  p.  751.) 

The  verse  in  the  Communion  is  usually  taken  from 
the  Bible,  not  always  from  the  Psalms.  The  Com- 
munion is  sometimes  composed  by  the  Church,  as  in 
the  feast  of  the  Seven  Dolours.  Happy  the  feelings  of 
the  Blessed  Virgin  Mary,  who  without  dying  hath 
merited  the  palm  of  martyrdom  beneath  the  Cross 
of  the  Lord.  The  Communion  (in  spite  of  its  name) 
does  not  at  all  necessarily  refer  to  the  distribution  or 
receiving  of  the  Eucharist.  The  Communion,  like  other 
variable  portions  of  the  Mass,  bears  on  the  feast  of  the 
day  or  the  ecclesiastical  season.  The  allusion  to  the 
Eucharist  is  rare  and  seems  almost  accidental. 

We  may  cite  here  a  few  examples  of  the  Com- 
munions from  the  Missal  to  illustrate  the  truth  of  what 
has  been  said  regarding  the  peculiar  character  of  the 
prayer. 

The  Communions  for  the  four  Sundays  in  Advent 
indicate  the  Church's  spirit  during  that  season. 

First  Sunday.  The  Lord  will  give  goodness  and 
our  earth  shall  yield  her  fruit. 

Second  Sunday.  Jerusalem,  arise  and  stand  on 
high  and  see  the  gladness  which  shall  come  to  thee 
from  thy  God. 

Third  Sunday.  Say  to  the  faint-hearted  :  Take 
courage  and  fear  not :  behold  our  Lord  shall  come 
and  save  us. 


THE   POSTCOMMUNION.  169. 

Fourth  Sunday.  Behold  a  Virgin  shall  conceive 
and  bring  forth  a  Son  and  His  name  shall  be  called 
Emmanuel. 

For  Easter.  Christ  our  Pasch  is  sacrificed, 
therefore  let  us  feast  with  the  unleavened  bread 
of  sincerity  and  truth. 

For  the  feast  of  St.  Aloysius  there  is  an  allusion  to 
the  Blessed  Sacrament.  He  gave  them  the  bread 
of  Heaven  :  Man  has  eaten  the  bread  of  angels. 

The  Requiem  Mass  preserves  its  primitive  form. 
Eternal  light  shine  upon  them,  O  Lord.  With 
Thy  saints  for  ever,  because  Thou  art  merciful. 
Eternal  rest  grant  unto  them,  O  Lord,  and  may 
perpetual  light  shine  upon  them.  With  Thy  saints 
for  ever,  because  Thou  art  merciful. 


The  Postcommunion  is  a  prayer  which  immediately 
follows  the  Communion  and  ends  the  Mass.  In  earlier 
times  up  to  the  eleventh  century  it  was  called  Oratio 
ad  Complendum  —  prayer  at  the  finish  —  because  this 
prayer  with  the  lie  Missa  est  ended  the  Mass.  The 
Postcommunions  correspond  in  number,  form,  and 
ceremonies  with  the  Collects  and  Secrets  for  the  day. 
There  is,  however,  a  characteristic  difference ;  the 
Collect  relates  exclusively  to  the  feast  of  the  day  or 
to  the  ecclesiastical  season,  and  the  Secret  mainly  to 
the  Sacrifice  (oratio  super  oblata),  while  the  Blessed 
Eucharist,  as  a  Sacrament,  forms  not  unfrequently  the 
subject  of  the  Postcommunion. 

In  the  Postcommunion  the  plural  form  is  always 
used,  for  this  prayer  is  said  for  those  or  in  the 
name  of  those  who  have  assisted  at  Mass.  This 


170  THE   POSTCOMMUNION. 

assumes  that  at  least  a  great  proportion  of  the  congre- 
gation at  Mass  have,  as  in  the  primitive  Church, 
communicated.1 

Here  are  examples  of  Postcommunions  taken  from 
different  feasts : 

The  Second  Sunday  in  Advent.  Filled  with  the 
food  of  spiritual  nourishment,  we  humbly  implore 
of  Thee,  O  Lord,  to  teach  us  by  sharing  in  this 
Mystery  to  despise  earthly  and  to  love  heavenly 
things. 

The  Vigil  of  Christmas.  Grant  us,  we  beseech 
Thee,  O  Lord,  to  draw  the  breath  of  life  in  the 
meditation  of  the  Nativity  of  Thy  only-begotten 
Son,  by  Whose  heavenly  mystery  we  are  fed  and 
given  to  drink. 

The  feast  of  the  Precious  Blood.  Admitted  to  the 
holy  table,  O  Lord,  we  have  drawn  waters  in  joy 
from  the  fountains  of  the  Saviour.  May  His  Blood 
be  for  us,  we  implore,  a  fountain  of  water  springing 
up  unto  everlasting  life. 

The  feast  of  St.  Catharine  of  Siena.  May  the 
heavenly  banquet,  wherein  we  have  been  fed,  obtain 
for  us  eternal  life,  as  it  also  nourished  the  life  of 
the  body  for  the  holy  virgin  Catharine. 

The  feast  of  St.  Aloysius.  Grant,  O  Lord,  that 
we  who  have  been  nourished  by  the  bread  of 
angels  may  live  with  angelic  purity,  and  that  we 
may  ever  be  constant  in  thanksgiving,  after  the 
example  of  him  whom  we  honour  to-day. 

1  The  reader  may  consult  with  profit  an  article  on  the  Postcom- 
munion  in  the  American  Ecclesiastical  Review  for  March,  1904,  by  the 
Rev.  P.  F.  Donnelly,  S.J. 


THE   END   OF  MASS.  x7I 


THE  END  OF   MASS. 


After  the  Postcommunion  the  priest  says,  The  Lord 
be  with  you,  and  the  server  answers,  and  with  thy 
spirit.  Next  follow  three  different  conclusions  for  the 
Mass :  Ite  Missa  est, — go,  it  is  the  dismissal ;  or  Bene- 
dicamus  Domino, — let  us  bless  the  Lord ;  or  Requies- 
cant  in  pace, — May  they  rest  in  peace.  Ite  Missa  est  is 
said  facing  the  people,  because  it  is  the  dismissal; 
Benedicamus  Domino  facing  the  altar,  because  our  Lord 
dwells  there ;  Requiescant  in  pace  also  facing  the  altar, 
because  the  words  refer  to  the  absent  remembered  by  our 
Lord.  The  Ite  Missa  est  is  said  at  Mass  whenever  the 
Gloria  in  excelsis  is  said.  The  Benedicamus  Domino  is 
reserved  for  penitential  seasons.  The  words  were 
perhaps  originally  an  invitation  to  the  faithful  to  remain 
in  church  for  the  Canonical  Hours  which  followed  Mass 
during  times  of  penance.  The  rubric  prescribes  a 
joyful  chant  for  the  Ite  Missa  est,  while  that  of  the 
Benedicamus  Domino  is  more  grave  and  solemn. 

In  the  Requiem  Mass  all  signs  of  joy  are  inap- 
propriate ;  therefore  the  Ite  Missa  est  is  omitted  ;  and 
from  the  twelfth  century  the  custom  arose  of  saying 
the  last  fervent  prayer  for  the  dead  in  the  form  of  May 
they  rest  in  peace,  to  which  the  server,  representing  the 
congregation,  says  Amen.  Requiescant  in  pace  is  the 
shortened  form  of  Fidelium  animce  per  misericordiam  Dei 
requiescant  in  pace.  Up  to  the  tenth  or  eleventh  century 
the  Mass  ended  with  one  of  the  formulas  already  quoted. 
The  prayer  Placeat,  the  priest's  blessing,  and  the  Gospel 
of  St.  John,  are  additions  which  found  their  way  into  the 


172  THE  END  OF  MASS. 

Roman  Missal   from   different   churches.     Pius  V.,  in 
1570,  in  revising  the  new  Missal,  prescribed  the  Placeat, 
blessing,  and  St.  John's  Gospel  for  the  end  of  Mass. 
The  prayer  runs  thus  : 

Placeat  tibi,  sancta  Tri-  O  Holy  Trinity,  may  the 
nitas,  obsequium  servitutis  obedience  of  my  service  be 
meae,  et  praesta :  ut  sacri-  pleasing  to  Thee  :  and  grant 
ficium,  quod  oculis  tuae  Ma-  that  the  Sacrifice  which  I, 
jestatis  indignus  obtuli,  tibi  unworthy,  have  offered  in  the 
sit  acceptable,  mihique  et  sight  of  Thy  Majesty,  may 
omnibus,  pro  quibus  illud  be  acceptable  to  Thee,  and 
obtuli,  sit,  te  miserante,  pro-  through  Thy  mercy  be  a  pro- 
pitiabile.  Per  Christum  Domi-  pitiation  for  me.  and  all  those 
num  nostrum.  Amen.  for  whom  I  have  ottered  it. 

Through     Christ    our    Lord. 
Amen. 

EXPLANATION  OF  THE  PRAYER. 


O  Holy  Trinity,  may  the  obedience  of  my 
service  be  pleasing  to  Thee.  The  obedience 
of  my  service  means  the  absolute  dependence  of  the 
creature  on  the  Creator,  and  is  expressed  by  the  very 
nature  of  the  Sacrifice  which  is  offered  to  God  alone. 
And  grant  that  the  Sacrifice  which  I,  unworthy, 
have  offered  in  the  sight  of  Thy  Majesty,  may  be 
acceptable  to  Thee,  and  through  Thy  mercy  be  a 
propitiation.  Propitiation  is  mentioned  as  most  neces- 
sary; we  first  appease  God's  offended  Majesty,  and  then 
implore  the  graces  we  need  through  His  mercy. 
For  me  and  all  those  for  whom  I  have  offered  it. 
Through  Christ  our  Lord.  Amen. 

The  prayer  Placeat  is  a  compendium  of  the  previous 
petitions  of  the  Mass.  The  priest  for  the  last  time 
humbly  asks  of  God  for  himself  and  the  people  the  graces 
he  needs. 


THE  END  OF  MASS. 


173 


This  prayer  naturally  leads  to  the  blessing  that 
follows,  for  every  blessing  comes  from  the  Sacrifice  of 
the  Mass,  and  the  priest  is  in  every  case  the  channel. 

After  the  prayer  Placeat  the  priest  kisses  the  altar 
and  pronounces  the  blessing :  Benedicat  vos  omnipo- 
tens  Deus,  Pater,  et  Filius,  *%*  et  Spiritus  Sanctus. 

This  custom  of  the  priest's  blessing  at  Mass  is  not 
very  ancient.  There  is  no  proof  up  to  the  eleventh 
century  of  a  blessing  at  the  end  of  Mass.  From  the  tenth 
century  many  Bishops  in  various  places  began  to  give 
the  blessing  at  the  end  of  Mass  instead  of  before  the 
Communion.  By  degrees  priests  also  began  to  bless 
at  the  end  of  Mass.  At  one  time  priests  gave  the 
blessing  with  the  triple  sign  of  the  Cross,  as  Bishops 
do  now.  Pius  V.  restricted  priests  to  a  blessing  with 
one  sign  of  the  Cross,  except  at  High  Mass,  when  he 
allowed  them  the  triple  sign.  At  the  revision  of  the 
Roman  Missal  the  rule  was  at  length  firmly  estab- 
lished that  Bishops  at  the  end  of  Mass  bless  with 
a  triple  sign  of  the  Cross  and  priests  with  a  single. 
Clement  VIII.  made  the  rule  absolute  which  forbids 
a  priest  to  bless  with  the  triple  sign  of  the  Cross.1 
The  Requiem  Mass  without  a  blessing  at  the  end 
reminds  us  of  the  centuries  when  no  blessing  was  given 
by  priest  or  Bishop. 

The  custom  of  reading  the  beginning  of  St.  John's 
Gospel  at  the  end  of  Mass  dates  from  the  thirteenth 
century,  and  that  only  in  certain  places.  Pius  V.,  in 
revising  the  Missal,  imposed  on  all  priests  the  obliga- 
tion of  saying  St.  John's  Gospel  at  the  end  of  Mass 
except  on  certain  days  when  the  rubrics  prescribe 
another  Gospel. 

1  An  allusion  to  the  withdrawal  of  the  permission  for  the  triple 
sign  of  the  Cross  is  seen  in  the  Rubric  of  the  Roman  Missal,  "et 
versus  ad  populum,  semel  tantum  benedicens  etiam  in  Missis  Sokmnibus." 


174 


THE  END  OF  MASS. 


In  principio  erat  Verbum, 
et  Verbum  erat  apud  Deum, 
et  Deus  erat  Verbum.  Hoc 
erat  in  principio  apud  Deum. 
Omnia  per  ipsum  facta  sunt, 
et  sine  ipso  factum  est  nihil, 
quod  factum  est.  In  ipso  vita 
erat,  et  vita  erat  lux  hominum  ; 
et  lux  in  tenebris  lucet,  et 
tenebrae  earn  non  compre- 
henderunt. 


Fuit  homo  missus  a  Deo, 
cui  nomen  erat  Joannes.  Hie 
venit  in  testimonium,  ut  testi- 
monium,  perhiberet  de  lum- 
ine,  ut  omnes  crederent  per 
ilium.  Non  erat  ille  lux ;  sed 
ut  testimonium  perhiberet  de 
lumine.  Erat  lux  vera,  quae 
illuminat  omnem  hominem 
venientem  in  hunc  mundum. 


In  mundo  erat,  et  mundus 
per  ipsum  factus  est,  et  mun- 
dus eum  non  cognovit.  In 
propria  venit,  et  sui  eum  non 
receperunt.  Quotquot  autem 
receperunt  eum,  dedit  eis 
potestatem  filios  Dei  fieri,  his 
qui  credunt  in  nomine  ejus; 
qui  non  ex  sanguinibus,  neque 
ex  voluntate  carnis,  neque  ex 
voluntate  viri,  sed  ex  Deo  nati 

SUnt.       Et    VERBUM    CARO    FAC- 
TUM    EST,     et     habitavit     in 


In  the  beginning  was  the 
Word,  and  the  Word  was  with 
God,  and  the  Word  was  God. 
The  same  was  in  the  begin- 
ning with  God.  All  things 
were  made  by  Him,  and  with- 
out Him  was  made  nothing 
that  was  made.  In  Him  was 
life,  and  the  life  was  the  light 
of  men  ;  and  the  light  shineth 
in  darkness,  and  the  darkness 
did  not  comprehend  it. 

There  was  a  man  sent  from 
God,  whose  name  was  John. 
This  man  came  for  a  witness, 
to  give  testimony  of  the  light, 
that  all  men  might  believe 
through  him.  He  was  not 
the  light,  but  was  to  give  testi- 
mony of  the  light.  That  was 
the  true  light,  which  enlight- 
eneth  every  man  that  cometh 
into  this  world. 

He  was  in  the  world,  and 
the  world  was  made  by  Him, 
and  the  world  knew  Him  not. 
He  came  unto  His  own,  and 
His  own  received  Him  not. 
But  as  many  as  received  Him, 
to  them  He  gave  power  to  be 
made  the  sons  of  God,  to 
them  that  believe  in  His  name  : 
who  are  born,  not  of  blood, 
nor  of  the  will  of  the  flesh, 
nor  of  the  will  of  man,  but  of 
God.  And  THE  WORD  WAS 


THE  END  OF  MASS. 


175 


nobis  ;     et    vidimus    gloriam     MADE  FLESH,  and  dwelt  among 
ejus,  gloriam  quasi  unigeniti    us;    and   we   saw   His   glory, 

glory    as     of    the 


a    Patre,    plenum'  gratiae   et 
veritatis. 


R.  Deo  gratias. 


the  glory  as  of  the  only- 
begotten  of  the  Father,  full 
of  grace  and  truth. 

R.  Thanks  be  to  God. 


I?6  EXPLANATION  OF  ST.  JOHN'S  GOSPEL. 


i.  In  the   beginning  was  the  Word  and  the 
Word  was  with  God  and  the  Word  was  God. 


2.  The  same  was  in  the  beginning  with  God. 


3.  All  things  were  made  by  Him  and  without 
Him  was  made  nothing  that  was  made. 


4.  In  Him  was  life :  and  the  life  was  the  light  of 
men. 


EXPLANATION  OF  ST.  JOHN'S  GOSPEL. 


EXPLANATION   OF  ST.  JOHN'S  GOSPEL 
AS  READ  AT  MASS. 


1.  In  the  beginning,  that  is,  in  the  beginning  of 
time  as    in  Genesis,  "  in  the  beginning  God    created 
Heaven  and  earth:"  when  God  first  created — the  Word, 
or  the  Second  Person  of  the  Trinity,  already  existed. 
With   God   does  not    mean    separate  existence  from 
God — as  there  is  only  one  God ;  it  means  only  such 
distinction  as  exists  between  Producer  and  Produced, 
a  distinction  of  Person  necessary  because  of  the  unity 
of  the  same  nature. 

2.  St.  John  repeats  and  inculcates  the  same  truth — 
the  Son — the  Word  was  in  the  beginning  with  God 
— one  in  nature,  different  in  person. 

3.  All  things  were  made  by  Him,  that  is,  by  the 
Son.  The  Father  creates  through  the  Son  in  this  sense, 
that   He   communicates  to  the   Son  the  essence  and 
power  wherewith  He  creates  along  with  the  Father. 

All  creation  capable  of  life  was  by  the  Son  made 
living,  and  apart  from  the  Son  no  single  thing  was 
made. 

4.  In  Him  was  life,  that  is,  the  true  life  of  grace 
and  glory  in  its  source  and  origin  which  by  His  Incar- 
nation He  gives  to  us.     "  For  the  life  was  manifested 
and  we  declare  unto  you  the  life  eternal  which  was  with 
the  Father  and  appeared  to  us."  (i  John  i.  2.) 

The  life  was  the  light  of  men :  the  life  was  the 
true  light  of  faith  and  grace,  which  proceeds  from  that 
life. 


M 


178  EXPLANATION   OF  ST.  JOHN'S  GOSPEL. 

5.  And  the  light  shineth  in  darkness  :  and  the 
darkness  did  not  comprehend  it. 


6.  There  was  a  man  sent  from  God  whose  name 
was  John. 


7:  This  man  came  for  a  witness,  to  give  testi- 
mony of  the  light,  that  all  men  might  believe 
through  him. 


EXPLANATION  OF  ST.  JOHN'S   GOSPEL.        179 

5.  Darkness    means   not    so   much   the   ignorance 
or  absence  of  light   from   the  hearts   of   men   as   the 
antagonism    of    the    world    to    the    truths    of    faith. 
(Compare  St.  John  in.  19.)   "  Men  loved  darkness  rather 
than   the   light,    for    their   works    were    evil."     They 
pulled   down   the   curtains  over  the  soul — they  hated 
the  light. 

The  darkness  did  not  comprehend  it.  The  dark- 
ness did  not  overtake  the  light.  The  meaning  is — the 
darkness  did  not  subdue  the  light.  The  sins  of  men 
could  not  quench  the  light  of  Christ,  the  darkness  could 
not  subdue  it,  or  overcome  it.  (Compare  Wisdom  vii. 
10,  30 :  "I  loved  her  (wisdom)  above  health  and  beauty, 
and  chose  to  have  her  instead  of  light :  for  her  light 
cannot  be  put  out.  .  .  .  For  after  this  cometh  night,  but 
no  evil  can  overcome  wisdom.") 

The  more  common  interpretation  followed  by  Father 
Knabenbauer  in  his  Commentary  on  St.  John's  Gospel, 
p.  71,  is  that  wicked  men  (the  darkness)  ignoring  God 
and  the  way  of  salvation,  refused  to  accept  the  light,  or 
to  acknowledge  it ;  as  stated  in  v.  10,  the  world  (men 
whose  lives  are  in  opposition  to  the  teaching  of  our 
Lord)  knew  Him  not  But  the  first  explanation  is 
preferable. 

6.  The  reference  is  to  John  the  Baptist,  appointed 
to  prepare  the  way  for  the  coming  of  Christ.    The  word 
Baptist  is  never  given  to  John  by  the  author  of  the 
Fourth  Gospel. 

7.  John  was  the  witness  appointed  by  God  to  testify 
to  all  the  Jews  that  Jesus  Christ  was  the  true  light,  that 
the  Jews  might  believe  in  their  Saviour  through  the 
word  of  John.  Remember  St.  John's  description  of  Jesus 
Christ :  "  Behold  the  Lamb  of  God ;  behold  Him  who 
taketh  away  the  sin  of  the  world."  (*'.  29.) 


i8o  EXPLANATION  OF  ST.  JOHN'S  GOSPEL. 

8.  He  was  not  the  light,  but  was  to  give  testi- 
mony of  the  light. 


9.  That  was  the  true  light  which  enlighteneth 
every  man  that  cometh  into  this  world. 


10.  He  was  in  the  world,  and  the  world  was 
made  by  Him,  and  the  world  knew  Him  not. 


11.  He   came   unto    His   own,  and    His    own 
received  Him  not. 

12.  But  as  many  as  received  Him  to  them  He 
gave  power  to  be  made  the  sons  of  God,  to  them 
that  believe  in  His  name. 


13.  Who  are  born  not  of  blood,  nor  of  the  will 
of  the  flesh,  nor  of  the  will  of  man,  but  of  God. 


14.  And  the  Word  was  made  flesh  and  dwelt 
among  us,  and  we  saw  His  glory,  the  glory  as  of 
the  only-begotten  of  the  Father,  full  of  grace  and 
truth. 


EXPLANATION   OF  ST.  JOHN'S  GOSPEL.          181 

8.  John  the  Baptist  confesses    in  v.  20,  "  I  am  not 
the  Christ,"  and  therefore  he  was  not  the  light.     Our 
Lord  said  of  John  the  Baptist,  "  He  was  a  burning  and 
shining  lamp."  (v.  35.)  John  was  the  lamp,  the  artificial 
light  kindled  by  another :  he  was  not  the  light,  for  the 
light  is  Christ.     John  was  to  point  out  the  light. 

9.  Christ   is  called  the  true  light — because  He  is 
substantial,  unveiled  light  that  shines  of  itself — others 
shine  with  a  light  borrowed  from  Him — another  kind  of 
light  altogether.   Christ  was  the  true  light  coming  into 
this  world,  which  enlighteneth  every  man  to  whom 
the  Gospel  of  His  coming  is  preached.     No  one,  says 
St.  Augustine,  is  enlightened  except  by  Christ. 

10.  He  was  in  the  world  as  God  and  Creator  from 
the  beginning  of  time,  and  the  world  was  made  by 
Him  (that  is,  earth  and  sky  and  all  creatures)  and  the 
world,  that  is,  the  multitude  of  men  whose  lives  are  in 
opposition  to  God's  law,  knew  Him  not. 

n.  He  came  unto  His  own,  into  His  own  land, 
the  Holy  Land  and  His  own  Jewish  people;  and  His 
own  Jewish  people  received  Him  not. 

12.  But  as  many  as  received  Him,  Christ  gave 
power  to  be  made  the  sons  of  God  by  adoption  in 
Baptism ;  He  gave  them  power — He  did  not  force  them 
— He  gave  them  the  means  on  condition  of  believing  in 
Christ,  of  becoming  sons  of  God  by  adoption  through 
grace. 

See  i  John  v.  i.  "Every  man  who  believes  that 
Jesus  is  Christ,  is  born  of  God." 

To  them  that  believe  in  His  name— literally 
believe  unto  His  name.  (Compare  Acts  viii.  16) — "bap- 
tized unto  the  name  of  the  Lord  Jesus." 

Both  expressions  mean  the  making  over  of  oneself 
as  to  a  Being  who  is  the  Son  of  God,  the  Messiah  who 
came  to  save  His  people  from  their  sins. 


182  EXPLANATION  OF  ST.  JOHN'S  GOSPEL. 

13.  St.  John  draws  a  comparison  between  natural 
birth    and    sonship    by  grace.     Who  are  born   not 
of  blood,  nor  of  the  will  of  the  flesh,  the  prompting 
of  appetite,  nor  of  the  will  of  man,  but  are  born  of 
God    by   Faith   and    Baptism   and    therefore   coheirs 
with  Christ  to  the  vision  of  God  in  Heaven. 

14.  The  Word  was  made    Flesh — that  is,  He 
became  Man.     Without   ceasing  to   be  what  He  was 
from  all  eternity,  the  Word  who  in  the  beginning  was 
with  God  has  become  flesh ;    God  is  Man :    and  that 
Man  is  God.     Here  in  a  nutshell  we  have  the  whole 
doctrine  of  the  Incarnation. 

And  dwelt  among  us,  or  as  in  the  original, 
pitched  His  tent  amongst  us.  These  words  mean  that 
Christ  came  to  be  for  ever  one  of  our  kith  and  kin,  to 
form  an  alliance  with  mankind  and  to  stay  amongst  us 
as  the  Head  of  our  race.  He  became  Man  in  time — 
He  will  remain  Man  for  all  eternity. 

We  saw  His  glory — that  is,  we  the  Apostles  saw 
His  glory,  all  the  mighty  deeds  by  which  He  showed 
forth  His  Divinity  amongst  men. 

The  glory  as  of  the  only-begotten  means  such 
glory  as  becomes  the  only-begotten.  Full  of  grace,  as 
author  of  the  grace  that  works  perfect  redemption,  and 
full  of  truth  as  Author  of  perfect  revelation.  (See 
Father  Rickabfs  Gospel  of  St.  John  and  Cornelius  a  Lapide). 


EXPLANATION  OF  ST.  JOHN'S  GOSPEL.  183 


QUESTIONS  ON  CHAPTER  XV. 

1.  Who  gave  the  Pater  noster  its  present  position  in  the 
Mass  ? 

2.  Give  us  this  day  our  daily  bread  is  found  in  St.  Luke. 
What  is  meant  by  daily  bread  ?  and  why  does  St.  Matthew 
use  super  substantial  ? 

3.  Explain    in     one    version,   forgive    us    our    trespasses, 
and  in  another,  forgive  us  our  debts. 

4.  What  is  meant  by  the  breaking  of  the  Host  and  the 
mingling  of  the  Consecrated  elements  ? 

5.  Why  is  the  first  prayer  before  the  priest's  Communion 
omitted  in  a  Requiem  Mass  ? 

6.  What    is    meant    by   Ablution    and    what   by   Purifi- 
cation ? 

7.  Why   is   the    Holy   Eucharist   called   a   temporal  gift  ? 
By  what    other  names    is    It    described    in  different   Post- 
communions  ? 

8.  What  is  the  origin  of  the  verse  in  the  Communion  ? 
Why  is  the  plural  form  used  in  the  Postcommunion  ? 

9.  What  are  the  three  different  conclusions  for  the  Mass  ? 
When  is  each  used  ? 

10.  When  was  the  priest's  blessing  at  the  end  of  Ma 
introduced  ? 


CHAPTER   the   SIXTEENTH. 


THE   CEREMONIES  OF   HIGH   MASS. 

HIGH  Mass,  with  the  full  number  of  ministers  and  all 
the  solemnity  prescribed  by  the  Church,  is  called  in 
her  language  Solemn  Mass.  Music  is  of  obligation  at 
High  Mass.  Mass  with  music  without  ministers  is 
called  Missa  Cantata. 

The  ministers  who  assist  the  celebrant  at  High 
Mass  are  the  deacon  and  subdeacon.  They  are  the 
proper  ministers  at  the  great  Sacrifice. 

The  deacon  at  ordination  receives  the  special  power 
of  assisting  the  celebrant  at  High  .Mass,  of  solemnly 
singing  the  Gospel,  of  preaching,  and  of  administering 
solemn  Baptism. 

The  subdeacon  at  ordination  receives  the  power  of 
assisting  the  celebrant  at  High  Mass,  and  of  solemnly 
singing  the  Epistle. 

The  deacon's  office  is  to  assist  the  priest,  the  sub- 
deacon's  to  assist  the  deacon  and  the  priest. 

Acolytes  are  prescribed  by  the  Church  as  servers  at 
High  Mass.  The  office  of  the  acolyte  is  one  of  the  four 
minor  orders.  The  acolyte  receives  from  the  Bishop 
the  special  power  of  serving  the  subdeacon  at  High 
Mass,  of  lighting  and  carrying  the  candle,  of  preparing 


THE    CEREMONIES  OF  HIGH   MASS.  185 

and  presenting  the  cruets  of  wine  and  water.  But  at 
High  Mass  we  usually  have  no  acolytes  in  the  strict 
sense ;  laymen  not  in  orders  perform  their  duties. 

This  mention  of  an  acolyte's  distinctive  office  in 
lighting  candles,  enables  us  to  say  a  few  words  on  the 
use  of  lights  in  a  liturgical  service.  That  light  has  a 
symbolical  use  is  almost  self-evident.  It  represents  to  us 
our  home  in  Heaven,  "where  perpetual  light  shines;  " 
and  it  is  the  symbol  of  our  Divine  Saviour,  who 
describes  Himself  in  St.  John  xii.  46  as  the  "  light  of 
the  world."  Christ  is  the  "  light  of  light,"  "the  bright- 
ness of  His  Father's  glory  "  (Heb.  i.  3),  "  a  light  for  the 
revelation  of  the  Gentiles,  and  the  glory  of  Thy  people 
Israel"  (St.  Luke  ii.  31),  He  is  "the  bright  and  morning 
star"  of  the  Apocalypse  (xxii.  16),  and  the  "light 
shining  in  darkness."  (St.  John  i.  5.) 

Amongst  the  early  Jewish  Christians  unquestionably 
the  Paschal  Candle  typified  Him  who  is  "  the  True 
Light  which  cometh  into  the  world."  At  the  blessing 
of  the  fire  on  Holy  Saturday  the  Church  prays  to  God, 
"  the  Eternal  Light  and  Creator  of  all  light,"  that  He 
would  bless  the  light  so  that  we  "  may  be  thereby 
inflamed  with  love  and  be  enlightened  by  the  fire  of 
the  Divine  brightness."  The  feast  of  the  Purification 
is  called  in  English  Candlemas,  in  reference  to  the 
candles  which  are  blessed  and  carried  in  procession 
before  Mass.  They  remind  us  of  Holy  Simeon's  words 
when,  with  the  Divine  Child  in  his  arms,  he  declared 
Him  to  be  the  light  of  the  Gentiles  and  the  glory  of 
Israel.  The  Church  in  blessing  the  candles  teaches  us 
that  she  regards  and  employs  earthly  light  as  a  symbol 
of  that  heavenly  light  in  which  spiritual  truth  is  read. 
She  prays  in  words,  which  necessarily  lose  in  translation, 
to  "Jesus  Christ,  the  true  light,"  to  grant  that  "  as  the 


i86  THE  CEREMONIES  OF  HIGH  MASS. 

candles  lighted  with  visible  fire  scatter  the  darkness  of 
night,  so  our  hearts  (enlightened  by  invisible  fire,  that  is, 
by  the  splendour  of  the  Holy  Spirit)  may  be  freed  from 
all  blindness  of  sin,  and  with  the  purified  eye  of  the 
mind  may  be  enabled  to  perceive  what  is  pleasing  to 
Thee  and  conducive  to  our  salvation,  and  that  after 
the  uncertain  dangers  of  this  life  we  may  reach  unfailing 
light." 

The  blessed  candle  is  raised  by  the  Church  to  the 
dignity  of  a  sacramental.  It  strengthens  our  efforts  in 
virtue  of  the  Church's  prayers,  to  overcome  the  spirits 
of  darkness  and  to  see  those  truths  which  "  the  sensual 
man  perceiveth  not."  (i  Cor.  it.  14.)  To  the  newly 
baptized  the  lighted  candle  is  given,  as  the  emblem  of 
the  torch  of  faith  with  which  souls  hasten  forth  to 
meet  the  Bridegroom.  One  lighted  candle  is  required 
in  the  administration  of  Extreme  Unction,  perhaps  to 
signify  the  light  of  hope  shed  by  that  great  sacrament 
around  the  dying  bed.  The  figurative  use  of  light  in 
the  ceremonies  of  the  Church  with  its  high  significa- 
tion and  purpose  cannot  be  questioned. 

Mass  is  the  Church's  greatest  service ;  and  we  need 
not  be  surprised  that  lighted  candles  are  a  strict  obliga- 
tion. Two,  and  not  more  than  two,  are  lighted  at  a 
priest's  Low  Mass,  and  four  may  be  used  at  the  Low 
Mass  of  a  Bishop.  The  candles  must  be  of  white  wax 
(cera  alba),  except  in  Masses  for  the  Dead,  when  candles 
dc  communi  cera,  that  is,  of  yellow  wax,  are  prescribed. 
The  latter  are  used  at  Tenebrae  in  Holy  Week  on  the 
altar,  and  for  the  fifteen  candles  on  the  hearse  or 
triangular  candlestick ;  at  the  Mass  of  the  Presanctified ; 
as  also  at  Office  of  the  Dead.  Electric  light  is  permitted 
for  illumination  and  ornament,  but  it  may  not  be  used  as 


CEREMONIES  OF  HIGH  MASS.  187 

a  substitute  for  those  lights  which  are  prescribed  by  the 
Church's  ritual.1  Six  candles  are  lighted  at  High  Mass, 
and  seven  at  a  High  Mass  celebrated  by  a  Bishop.  The 
origin  of  this  custom  takes  us  back  to  the  ninth  century 
after  Christ.  We  cannot  do  better  than  quote  a  passage 
from  a  most  interesting  and  instructive  book  on  the 
Ceremonies  of  Holy  Week  published  in  1902.  In 
speaking  of  the  service  of  the  Three  Lessons  on  Good 
Friday,  the  author  refers  (p.  4)  to  a  time  in  the  early 
Church  when  the  Chief  Pontiff  and  his  attendants  made 
their  solemn  entry  into  the  sanctuary  for  High  Mass. 
"In  the  sacristy,"  writes  Father  Thurston,  "near  the 
entrance  of  the  Lateran  Basilica,  the  Pontiff  assumed 
the  sacred  vestments.  There  he  took  his  place  in  the 
procession  to  the  altar,  being  supported  on  his  right  by 
his  archdeacon  and  on  his  left  by  the  second  deacon, 
and  preceded  by  the  subdeacons,  one  of  whom,  who  was 
inferior  in  grade  to  the  seven  regionary2  subdeacons, 
swung  a  smoking  censer.  At  the  head  of  the  procession 
walked  the  seven  regionary  acolytes  bearing  lighted 
candles.  .  .  .  The  seven  candles  of  the  acolytes,  which 
were  eventually  ranged  in  a  row  on  or  before  the  altar, 
explain  in  the  clearest  way  the  origin  of  the  seven 
candles  in  a  Pontifical  High  Mass,  and  through  an 
obvious  differentiation,  the  origin  of  the  six  candles  on 
the  altar  in  a  High  Mass  which  is  not  pontifical." 

1  To  the    question   "  Utrum   lux  electrica  adhiberi   possit   in 
Ecclesiis,"  it    was  answered   by  the  Congregation  of  Rites,  "  Ad 
cultum,    negative:     ad  depellendas   autem   tenebras   ecclesiasque 
splendidius     illuminandas,  affirmative;    cauto  tamen,    ne    modus 
speciem  prae  se  ferat  theatralem."  (June  4,  1895.) 

2  Pope  St.  Fabian  in  the  third  century  divided  Rome  into  seven 
ecclesiastical  "regions."     Each    region    had   a   deacon  and   sub- 
deacon  of  its  own,  with  acolytes  under  them.     These  clerics  were 
called   "  regionaries ;  "    others    of    the    same    grade   were    called 
sequentes,  "supernumeraries." 


i88  THE   CEREMONIES   OF  HIGH  MASS. 

One  word  as  to  the  candlesticks  on  the  altar.  We  are 
told  that  the  present  custom  of  placing  candlesticks  on  the 
altar  dates  from  the  ninth  or  tenth  century  ;  previously 
to  this  period  they  were  placed  probably  at  the  sides  or 
before  the  altar.  "  In  the  private  Masses  of  the  ninth  or 
tenth  century,  and  in  some  places  down  to  the  end  of 
the  eighteenth  century,  the  altar  remained  bare  until  the 
priest  who  was  to  say  Mass  actually  arrived  at  the 
spot.  The  priest  brought  a  little  crucifix  or  cross  along 
with  the  chalice,  and  the  server  carried  a  candlestick 
and  candle.  In  all  probability  the  six  candlesticks  we 
now  see  there,  or  seven  when  a  Bishop  pontificates,  have 
sprung  from  the  seven  candles  originally  borne  before 
the  Roman  Pontiff  by  the  seven  regionary  acolytes." 
(Ceremonies  of  Holy  Week,  Good  Friday,  p.  6.) 

After  this  brief  reference  to  the  Church's  use  of 
candles  at  Mass  we  return  to  the  consideration  of 
the  Ceremonies  at  High  Mass.  Instead  of  being  crossed 
in  front  like  the  priest's,  the  deacon's  stole  stretches 
from  the  left  shoulder  across  the  breast  and  is  fastened  at 
his  right  side.  Also,  instead  of  the  chasuble,  the  deacon 
and  subdeacon  wear  special  vestments  called  dalmatics. 
A  dalmatic  is  a  vestment  open  on  each  side,  with  wide 
sleeves,  and  marked  with  two  stripes.  It  is  worn  by 
deacons  at  High  Mass,  at  Processions  and  Benediction. 
Bishops  wear  a  dalmatic  and  tunic  under  the  chasuble 
when  they  celebrate  Mass  pontifically.  The  colour  is. 
the  same  as  that  of  the  celebrant's  chasuble.  The  word 
is  derived  from  Dalmatia.  The  dalmatic  was  a  long 
undergarment  of  white  Dalmatian  wool  corresponding 
to  the  Roman  tunic.  Originally  it  was  a  garment  of 
everyday  life. 

The  use  of  the  dalmatic  as  a  vestment  was  first 
peculiar  to  the  Popes,  and  then  permitted  by  them 


THE   CEREMONIES   OF  HIGH  MASS.  189 

to  Bishops,  and  as  early  as  the  fourth  century  to 
deacons.  From  the  year  800  onwards  ecclesiastical 
writers  speak  of  the  dalmatic  as  one  of  the  episcopal 
and  the  chief  of  the  deacon's  vestments.  (Cath.  Diet. 
Sixth  Edition,  p.  268.) 

High  Mass  differs  from  Low  (so  called  by  way  of 
contrast  to  the  High,  the  Great,  the  Solemn  Mass) 
merely  in  the  way  of  addition.  It  is  substantially  the 
same  rite.  But  such  is  the  dignity  of  this  great  Sacrifice, 
that  the  Church  prefers  its  being  solemnized  with  all 
outward  sign  of  grandeur  and  beauty.  It  is  certain  that 
Masses  are  much  more  frequent  in  later  than  in  earlier 
ages.  Thus  St.  Augustine,  speaking  of  his  day,  informs 
us  that  in  some  places  there  was  Mass  daily,  in  others 
only  on  Sundays,  in  others  on  Saturdays  and  Sundays. 
The  multiplication  of  Masses  has  necessarily  tended  to 
divest  them  of  all  ceremonial  except  what  is  necessary 
to  their  essence.  But  High  Mass  is  more  in  accordance 
with  the  mind  of  the  Church  than  Low.  And  she  has  it 
on  every  great  feast. 

The  first  ceremony  after  the  priest  reaches  the  altar 
is  the  incensing. 

Incensing  is  very  ancient  in  the  Church  and  was 
prescribed  by  God  Himself  in  Exodus  xxx.  7:  "And 
Aaron  shall  burn  sweet-smelling  incense  upon  it  in  the 
morning."  The  Council  of  Trent  mentions  incense 
(Thymiama)  amongst  those  visible  signs  which  lift  the 
mind  to  heavenly  things.  (Sess.  xxii.  ch.  5.)  The  burning 
away  of  the  incense,  in  other  words  its  destruction,  is 
suitable  to  the  idea  of  Sacrifice  where  the  Victim  is 
destroyed,  and  the  perfume,  which  is  of  strict  obligation, 
is  emblematic  of  the  good  odour  of  Christ  of  which  the 
Sacrifice  speaks. 

The  first  incensing  of  the  altar  by  the  priest  may  be 


i  go  THE  CEREMONIES  OF  HIGH  MASS. 

regarded  as  the  conclusion  of  the  prayers  said  at  the 
foot  of  the  altar.  It  is  unaccompanied  by  any  prayer. 
The  celebrant  places  the  incense  three  times  in  the 
thurible,  saying :  Mayest  thou  be  blessed  by  Him  in 
whose  honour  thou  shalt  be  consumed,  and  makes 
the  sign  of  the  Cross  over  it.  He  then  incenses  three 
times  with  a  double  swing  the  crucifix — next  he  incenses 
the  relics  of  the  saints  on  the  altar  out  of  respect  to 
their  memory,  and  then  the  altar  itself — the  place  of 
sacrifice.  The  altar  is  the  holiest  of  inanimate  things 
in  the  church  and  has  been  solemnly  consecrated,  or  at 
least  the  altar-stone,  by  the  Bishop.  It  therefore  merits 
incensing.  The  incensing  of  the  altar  over,  the 
celebrant  hands  the  thurible  to  the  deacon,  who 
incenses  the  celebrant  three  times  (as  he  incensed  the 
crucifix),  as  the  representative  at  Mass  of  the  great 
High  Priest  Jesus  Christ. 

The  first  incensing  is  meant  chiefly  for  the  altar. 


THE  KYRIE,   GLORIA  IN   EXCELSIS, 
AND  THE  EPISTLE. 


The  priest  recites  in  a  low  voice  the  Kyrie  at  the 
Epistle  side  of  the  altar,  where  it  was  originally  said 
at  Low  Mass — the  deacon  and  subdeacon  recite 
alternately  with  him.  The  celebrant  intones  the 
Gloria.  The  choir  take  it  up.  The  deacon  and  sub- 
deacon  repeat  with  the  celebrant  the  words  of  the  Gloria. 
Then  all  go  to  their  seats — where  they  remain  with 
covered  heads  (except  at  the  words  at  which  inclination 


THE  SINGING   OF  THE  GOSPEL. 


of  the  head  is  made  at  Low  Mass)  while  the  Gloria  is 
being  sung.  The  Gloria  over  —  the  celebrant,  after  genu- 
flecting with  the  deacon  and  subdeacon  at  the  foot 
of  the  altar,  mounts  the  steps,  the  deacon  retires  behind 
him,  and  the  subdeacon  behind  the  deacon. 

The  priest  sings  Dominus  vobiscum,  and  is 
answered  by  the  choir  ;  he  then  sings  the  Collect  or 
Collects  of  the  day.  The  deacon  and  subdeacon 
remain  behind  him.  The  Collects  over,  the  deacon 
moves  near  the  Celebrant  and  assists  him  while  he  reads 
the  Epistle,  Gradual,  and,  if  so  be,  Tract  or  Sequence. 
Meanwhile  the  Epistle  of  the  day  is  sung  by  the  sub- 
deacon,  in  the  exercise  of  the  power  given  him  at 
ordination.  At  its  close  he  takes  the  book  to  the  centre 
of  the  altar,  genuflects,  and  carries  it  to  the  Epistle 
corner,  where  he  receives  the  blessing  of  the  priest.  He 
then  restores  the  book  to  the  master  of  ceremonies  and 
takes  the  Missal  to  the  other  side  for  the  priest  to  read 
the  Gospel. 

The  priest  says  the  Munda  COY  meutn  and  in  a  low 
voice  reads  the  Gospel. 


THE  SINGING  OF  THE  GOSPEL  BY 
THE   DEACON. 


When  the  priest  has  read  the  Gospel,  the  deacon 
receives  the  book  of  the  Gospels,  genuflects,  and  goes 
up  to  the  altar,  setting  the  book  upon  it — the  open  part 
turned  towards  the  tabernacle.  This  rubric  is  the 
survival  of  the  old  custom  of  taking  the  book  of  the 


IQ2  THE  SINKING   OF  THE  GOSPEL. 

Gospels  to  the  altar  at  the  beginning  of  the  Mass  and 
leaving  it  until  the  deacon  needed  it.  He  next  assists 
the  priest  in  putting  the  incense  into  the  thurible  with 
the  same  ceremonies  as  before.  The  deacon  then  recites 
the  Munda  cor  meum.  This  prayer  has  been  already 
explained.  He  kneels  before  the  celebrant  with  the 
book  of  the  Gospels,  and  asks  his  blessing  thus, 
Jube,  Domne.  benedicere — pray,  sir,  bless  me.  The 
celebrant  then  pronounces  the  blessing — Our  Lord  be 
on  thy  heart  and  on  thy  lips,  that  worthily  and 
suitably  thou  mayest  announce  His  Gospel  in 
the  name  of  the  Father  and  of  the  Son  and  of  the 
Holy  Ghost.  Amen,  at  the  same  time  making  the 
sign  of  the  Cross  over  him  with  his  right  hand,  which 
the  deacon  kisses. 

The  deacon,  subdeacon,  acolytes  with  lighted 
candles,  thurifer  and  master  of  ceremonies  proceed  to 
the  fixed  place  where  the  Gospel  is  sung.  The  Church 
surrounds  the  singing  of  the  Gospel  with  extraordinary 
solemnity.  It  is  difficult  to  think  of  anything  in  her 
Liturgy  to  which  she  pays  more  honour  than  to  the 
Gospels. 

The  congregation  stand  as  a  mark  of  respect.  The 
acolytes'  lighted  candles  are  a  symbol  of  our  Lord,  who 
by  teaching  was  the  Light  of  the  world.  "  Thy 
word  is  a  lamp  to  my  feet,  and  a  light  to  my  paths." 
(Ps.  cxviii.  105.)  The  incense  with  its  sweet  smell 
represents  the  good  odour  of  Christ.  "  For  we  are  the 
good  odour  of  Christ  with  God,  in  them  that  are  saved, 
and  in  them  that  perish.  To  the  one  indeed  the  odour 
of  death  unto  death  :  but  to  the  others  the  odour  of  life 
unto  life."  (2  Cor.  ii.  15,  16.) 

The  subdeacon  holds  the  book  and  the  deacon  sings 
in  a  loud  voice  Dominus  vobiscum.  The  choir 


THE   SINGING    OF   THE   GOSPEL.  193 

answers  Et  cum  spiritu  tuo.  On  chanting  the  title 
of  the  Gospel,  the  deacon  signs  the  book  and  his 
forehead,  lips,  and  breast,  as  the  priest  does  at  Low 
Mass.  The  title  having  been  chanted,  the  deacon 
receives  the  thurible  from  the  thurifer,  and  while  the 
choir  sings  Gloria  tibi  Domine,  he  incenses  the  sacred 
text  three  times,  and  proceeds  to  chant  the  Gospel.  At 
the  end  the  subdeacon  carries  the  book  to  the  celebrant 
to  kiss  the  place  indicated  by  the  deacon.  The  latter 
then  thrice  incenses  the  celebrant  who  (if  there  be  no 
sermon)  at  once  intones  the  Credo. 

The  sacred  ministers  recite  the  Credo  with  the  priest, 
and  then  sit  until  the  choir  has  finished  the  Credo.  After 
the  Incavnaius  the  deacon  goes  to  the  altar  with  the 
burse  containing  the  corporal,  which  he  spreads  for  the 
Sacrifice,  and  then  draws  the  Missal  from  the  Gospel 
side  to  the  middle  of  the  altar  for  the  celebrant's  con- 
venience. During  this  ceremony  the  subdeacon  rises 
and  stands  uncovered :  the  acolytes  also  rise  and  stand. 
The  deacon  returns  to  his  seat  per  breviorem,  and  before 
sitting,  bows  to  the  celebrant. 


THE  SOLEMN   OFFERTORY. 


THE   SOLEMN   OFFERTORY. 


The  Creed  having  been  sung  by  the  choir — the  priest 
attended  by  the  deacon  and  subdeacon  goes  to  the 
altar  in  the  same  manner  as  after  the  Gloria  and  sermon. 
The  deacon  and  subdeacon  fall  into  their  places  behind 
the  priest,  and  the  celebrant  after  kissing  the  altar 
sings  the  Domtnus  vobiscum  and  is  answered  by  the 
choir.  He  then  sings  the  Oremus  before  the  Offertorium, 
which  he  says  in  a  low  voice. 

The  deacon  now  leaves  his  place  and  goes  to  the 
Epistle  side  of  the  altar,  while  the  subdeacon  proceeds 
to  the  credence-table,  where  he  finds  the  chalice  and 
paten  with  bread  prepared  for  the  Sacrifice,  covered 
with  a  long  veil  of  the  colour  of  the  day  as  well  as  with 
the  small  veil  by  which  they  are  always  covered  when 
not  in  use.  Wearing  the  long  veil  the  subdeacon  pro- 
ceeds to  the  altar,  where  the  deacon  puts  the  small  veil 
aside,  receives  the  chalice  and  paten  and  sets  them  on 
the  altar.  The  deacon  then  presents  the  priest  with  the 
paten  bearing  the  bread  of  the  Sacrifice,  kissing  the  paten 
and  his  hand.  While  the  priest  offers  the  host — the 
deacon  pours  wine  into  the  chalice ;  and  the  sub- 
deacon,  holding  the  cruet  of  water,  invokes  the  blessing 
of  the  celebrant  in  the  words  Benedicite,  Pater  veverende, 
using  the  plural  (benedicite)  as  a  mark  of  respect.  The 
celebrant  as  at  Low  Mass  blesses  the  water  and  the 
subdeacon  pours  a  drop  or  two  into  the  chalice.  The 
deacon  and  subdeacon  have  each  their  proper  functions 
in  High  Mass — the  subdeacon  sings  the  Epistle — the 
deacon  the  Gospel,  to  the  deacon  belongs  the  wine — 
the  matter  of  the  Precious  Blood — to  the  subdeacon 


THE   INCENSING  AT  THE   OFFERTORY.  195 

the  water.  The  deacon  now  presents  the  priest  with  the 
chalice  as  before  with  the  paten — kisses  the  base  of  the 
chalice  and  the  celebrant's  hand — holds  the  celebrant's 
arm  and  repeats  with  him  the  words  of  oblation  on 
that  account  in  the  plural.  The  plural  is  retained  in 
Low  Mass  as  if  to  show  that  the  presence  of  the 
deacon  is  more  after  the  Church's  heart;  she  retains 
the  plural  form  as  if  he  was  present. 

The  oblation  over,  the  deacon,  after  wiping  the 
paten  with  the  purificator,  next  gives  it  to  the  sub- 
deacon,  covering  it  with  the  end  of  the  long  veil  still 
worn  by  the  latter,  who  bearing  the  paten  so  covered, 
proceeds  with  it  to  his  proper  place  at  the  foot  of  the 
altar,  where  he  holds  it  until  almost  the  end  of  the  Pater 
nosier.  This  custom  is  said  to  date  from  the  time  when 
the  faithful  offered  bread  and  wine  on  the  paten.  As 
the  offerings  were  large,  the  size  of  the  paten  was  in 
proportion,  and  for  convenience  sake  it  was  removed  and 
held  by  the  subdeacon  until  wanted  again  by  the  priest. 
The  Church  loves  to  maintain  practices  in  symbol  after 
she  has  dropped  them  in  their  official  use. 

THE  INCENSING  AT  THE  OFFERTORY. 


The  incensing  at  the  Offertory  differs  from  the 
incensing  before  the  Introit,  because  at  the  Offertory  it 
is  more  solemn,  more  comprehensive,  as  not  merely  the 
celebrant,  deacon,  and  subdeacon  are  incensed,  but  the 
people  also ;  the  incensing  also  at  the  Offertory  is  in  an 
especial  way  meant  for  the  bread  and  wine,  and  thus  is 
much  more  clearly  connected  with  the  Sacrifice  than 
the  first  incensing,  which  is  chiefly  concerned  with  the 
altar  or  the  place  of  sacrifice. 


196  THE  INCENSING   AT  THE  OFFERTORY. 

The  priest  in  blessing  the  incense  says,  By  the 
intercession  of  blessed  Michael  the  Archangel, 
standing  on  the  right  hand  of  the  altar  of  incense 
(St.  Luke  i.  n)  and  of  all  His  eiect,  may  the  Lord 
vouchsafe  to  bless  >%*  this  incense,  and  to  receive  it 
in  the  odour  of  sweetness,  through  Christ  our 
Lord,  making  over  the  incense  the  sign  of  the  Cross. 

The  Church  begs  of  God  by  the  sign  of  the  Cross 
to  bless  the  incense  and  to  accept  it  as  a  thing  con- 
secrated to  His  service.  To  obtain  her  request 
more  surely  she  has  recourse  to  the  intercession  of 
St.  Michael  and  all  the  saints. 

EXPLANATION  OF  THE  PRAYER  IN  BLESSING  THE 
INCENSE. 


By  the  intercession  of  blessed  Michael  the 
Archangel — his  name  is  mentioned  in  the  Confiteov  and 
now  again  as  the  leader  of  the  heavenly  host  whose 
duty  in  fact  is  to  offer  to  God  the  prayers  of  the  faithful 
which  rise  like  incense.  Standing  at  the  right  hand 
of  the  altar  of  incense — this  is  said  of  St.  Gabriel  in 
Luke  (*'.  n),  and  because  of  this  verse  in  St.  Luke 
various  Missals  introduced  St.  Gabriel's  name  here. 
And  of  all  His  elect,  that  is,  all  the  saved,  may  the 
Lord  vouchsafe  to  bless  this  incense  by  consecrating 
it  to  His  service  and  to  receive  it  in  the  odour  of 
sweetness,  through  Christ  our  Lord.  The  priest 
asks  not  merely  that  God  will  accept  this  incense,  but 
accept  it  as  a  gift  sweet  smelling  in  His  sight. 

The  priest  then  receiving  the  thurible  from  the 
deacon  proceeds  to  incense  the  oblation  or  the  bread 
and  wine  of  the  Sacrifice.  Making  over  them  with  the 
thurible  three  crosses,  saying  at  the  first,  Incensum 


THE  INCENSING   AT  THE  OFFERTORY.  197 

istud  ;  at  the  second,  a  te  benedictum ;  at  the  third, 
ascendat  ad  te  Domine;  he  next  describes  three 
circles  round  the  chalice  and  host,  the  first  two  with 
the  thurible  from  right  to  left,  and  the  third  from  left 
to  right;  saying  at  the  first,  et  descendat  super  nos; 
at  the  second,  misericordia ;  and  at  the  third,  tua 
(May  this  incense  blessed  by  Thee  ascend  to  Thee, 
O  Lord,  and  may  Thy  mercy  descend  upon  us). 

He  next  incenses  the  crucifix  thrice  with  the  words 
of  the  i4oth  Psalm :  Let  my  prayer  be  directed  as 
incense  in  Thy  sight,  that  is,  let  my  prayer  reach 
Thee  in  the  Heavens  as  incense  ordered  by  Thee 
of  old  and  entirely  consumed  in  Thy  presence.  The 
lifting  up  of  my  hands  as  an  evening  sacrifice. 
A  lifting  up  of  my  hands  means  prayer,  as  the 
Jews  were  wont  to  lift  up  their  hands  in  prayer. 
(See  Psalm  cxxxiii.}  The  prayer  I  offer  up  with  uplifted 
hands,  may  it  be  like  the  sacrifice  of  incense  offered  up 
in  the  evening,  prefiguring  the  Sacrifice  of  Calvary. 
Set  a  watch,  O  Lord,  before  my  mouth ;  and  a  door 
round  about  my  lips.  My  mouth  being  the  gate 
through  which  pass  the  words  that  do  harm ;  set, 
O  Lord,  a  watchman  on  it,  and  as  that  is  not  enough  I 
beg  of  Thee  to  put  a  strong  door  round  my  lips  ;  That 
my  heart  incline  not  to  evil  words  to  make  excuses 
in  sin.  Do  not  allow  us  when  we  have  fallen  into  sin 
to  "  let  our  heart  incline"  to  lies  and  excuses.  "To 
make  excuses  in  sin."  Do  not  allow  us  to  excuse  our 
sin,  teach  us  to  acknowledge  it.  (See  Bellarmine's  Com- 
mentary on  this  Psalm.) 

The  celebrant  then  restores  the  thurible  to  the 
deacon  at  the  Epistle  side,  saying,  May  our  Lord 
enkindle  within  us  the  fire  of  His  love,  and  the 
flame  of  eternal  charity.  The  deacon  receives  it, 


198  THE  CANON  AND   CONSECRATION. 

kisses  the  thurible  and  the  celebrant's  hand  and  incenses 
him  thrice.  Then  the  deacon  incenses  the  clergy  in 
choir.  Next  he  incenses  the  subdeacon  twice,  and  is 
himself  incensed  by  the  thurifer  twice.  The  celebrant, 
remaining  at  the  Epistle  side  of  the  altar,  washes  his 
hands,  and  says  the  Psalm  Lavalo  as  in  Low  Mass.  He 
next  says  the  Prayer  of  Oblation,  the  Orate  Fratres,  and 
the  Secret  prayers  as  at  Low  Mass. 


THE  PREFACE  IN  SOLEMN  HIGH  MASS. 


The  Preface  is  invested  by  the  Church  with  great 
dignity,  its  words  of  unspeakable  majesty  are  wedded  to 
a  chant  which,  as-  some  writers  have  thought,  was  taken 
by  the  Apostles  from  the  music  in  the  Temple.  There 
seems  no  difficult)'  whatever  in  adopting  the  opinion,  or 
at  least  in  saying  that  there  may  be  a  strong  family 
resemblance  between  the  chant  of  the  Preface  and 
certain  music  in  vogue  in  the  Temple  during  the 
Apostles'  lifetime. 

THE   CANON   AND   CONSECRATION   IN 
HIGH   MASS. 


The  Preface  over,  the  deacon  takes  his  place  at  the 
left  of  the  celebrant,  in  discharge  of  his  official  work  of 
assisting  the  celebrant  at  High  Mass. 

The  acolytes  come  in  from  the  sacristy,  kneel  with 
lighted  torches  before  the  altar,  and  when  the  priest 
places  his  hands  over  the  chalice  at  the  words  Hanc 
igitur  oblationem,  the  deacon  genuflects,  moves  round 
to  the  right  of  the  priest,  and  goes  down  on  both  knees. 


THE   CONSECRATION  TO  THE  "PATER  NOSTER."     igg 

At  the  same  time  the  subdeacon  lowers  the  paten,  which 
he  still  carries,  and  kneels  in  his  place.  Incense  is 
placed  in  the  thurible  to  honour  the  Blessed  Sacrament 
at  the  Consecration.  When  the  Consecration  and 
adoration  of  the  Sacred  Host  are  over,  the  deacon  rises 
and  removes  the  pall  from  the  chalice ;  and  after  the 
Consecration  and  adoration  of  the  Precious  Blood  he 
replaces  it. 

After  the  Consecration  the  choir  sings  usually  the 
Benedictus,  which  may  be  considered  as  an  act  of  faith 
in  our  Lord  incarnate  on  the  altar. 


FROM  THE  CONSECRATION  TO  THE 
PATER  NOSTER. 


After  the  Consecration  the  deacon  and  subdeacon 
rise ;  and  the  deacon,  having  genuflected,  goes  again  to 
the  left  side  of  the  celebrant  to  assist  at  the  Missal. 
All  proceeds  as  at  Low  Mass,  until  after  the  Memento 
for  the  Dead  at  the  Per  quern  haec  omnia,  Domine, 
semper  bona  creas,  when  the  deacon  genuflects,  and 
goes  to  the  right  of  the  priest  to  remove  the  pall  from 
the  chalice  for  the  "little  Elevation;  "  also,  when  the 
priest  makes  the  sign  of  the  Cross  over  the  Sacred  Host 
and  chalice,  the  deacon  steadies  the  latter  at  the  foot, 
using  his  privilege  of  touching  vessels  which  contain 
the  Body  and  Blood  of  our  Lord.  At  the  Pater  noster 
the  deacon  having  genuflected,  leaves  the  altar,  ana 
goes  to  his  place  behind  the  priest. 


EXPLANATION  OF  THE   "PAX." 


FROM   THE    "PATER   NOSTER "   TO  THE 
COMMUNION. 


The  celebrant  sings  the  Pater  noster  to  a  tone  pre- 
scribed in  the  Missal.  At  the  Ne  nos  inducas  in  tenta- 
tionem  the  deacon  and  subdeacon,  having  genuflected 
at  their  places,  go  up  to  the  altar.  The  subdeacon 
gives  the  paten  to  the  deacon,  who  wipes  it  with  the 
purificator,  and  gives  it  to  the  priest  after  the  Pater 
noster,  kissing  the  edge  and  the  priest's  hand.  An 
attendant  removes  the  long  veil  from  the  shoulders  of 
the  subdeacon,  who  genuflects  and  returns  to  his 
place.  The  deacon  remains  near  the  celebrant  at  his 
right  to  remove  the  pall  from  the  chalice  and  steady  it 
when  necessary.  The  priest  sings  to  the  tone  pre- 
scribed in  the  Missal  the  Pax  Domini.  Then  the 
subdeacon  joins  the  priest  at  the  altar,  and  with  the 
deacon,  accompanies  him  in  saying  the  Agnus  Dei. 
This  over  the  subdeacon  goes  to  his  place,  and  the 
deacon  remains  on  both  knees  while  the  celebrant  says 
the  first  of  the  three  prayers  before  the  Communion. 
The  Pax  is  given  after  that  prayer. 


EXPLANATION   OF  THE  "PAX"  OR  KISS 
OF  PEACE. 

The  Pax  or  kiss  of  peace  is  the  memorial  of  the  holy 
"kiss  of  peace"  mentioned  by  St.  Peter  in  his  first 
Epistle  v.  14;  by  St.  Paul,  Rom.  xvi.  16,  and  in 
i  Cor.  xvi.  20.  The  kiss  of  peace  is  the  symbol  of  charity 
and  of  Christian  peace.  It  was  given  at  Mass  from 


EXPLANATION   OF   THE    "PAX." 


the  Apostles'  days.  To  avoid  all  abuse,  and  for  other 
reasons,  the  sexes  were  rigidly  separated.  Thesepara- 
ion  then  of  men  and  women  found  sometimes  in  the 
present  day  in  Catholic  churches,  at  home  and  abroad, 
is  partly  because  of  the  kiss  of  peace  formerly  given  by 
the  celebrant  to  the  deacon,  by  him  to  the  subdeacon, 
then  passed  down  to  the  clergy  in  the  sanctuary,  and 
from  them  to  the  men  in  the  congregation. 

In  all  the  Eastern  as  well  as  in  the  Mozarabic  and 
Ambrosian  liturgies  the  kiss  is  given  before  the  Offertory 
and  Consecration.  In  the  Roman  Mass  the  kiss  of 
peace  follows  the  Consecration,  and  is  clearly  connected 
with  the  Communion. 

The  kiss,  strictly  so  called,  was  given  as  late  as  the 
thirteenth  century  during  High  Mass  by  the  celebrant 
to  the  deacon,  and  by  him  to  the  subdeacon.  At  the 
end  of  the  thirteenth  century,  the  kiss  of  peace  gave 
way  to  the  use  of  the  Osculatorium,  called  also  Instrumentum 
or  tabula  pads.  This  Osculatorium  was  a  plate  with  a 
figure  of  Christ  Crucified  stamped  upon  it.  This  plate 
was  kissed  first  by  the  priest,  and  then  by  the  clerics 
and  congregation.  The  Osculatorium  was  introduced 
into  England  by  Archbishop  Walter  of  York  in  1250. 
The  embrace  now  substituted  for  the  kiss  of  peace 
dates  from  the  Reformation.  The  Pax,  as  it  is  called, 
is  not  given  at  Low  Mass.  At  High  Mass  after  the 
first  of  the  three  prayers  before  Communion,  the  deacon 
rises  from  his  knees  and  kisses  the  altar  with  the 
celebrant.  Next  the  celebrant,  placing  his  hands  on 
the  shoulders  of  the  deacon,  inclines  towards  his  cheek, 
saying  Pax  tecum,  and  is  answered  by  the  deacon  Et 
cum  spiritu  tuo.  The  deacon  then  goes  to  the  sub- 
deacon  and  gives  him  the  Pax  in  the  same  way. 

The  Pax  is  not  given  on  the  three  last  days  of  Holy 


THE   END   OF   HIGH   MASS. 


Week.  On  Maundy  Thursday  it  is  omitted  from  horror 
of  the  treacherous  kiss  of  Judas — on  Good  Friday  and 
Holy  Saturday  it  is  likewise  omitted  because,  says 
Durandus  the  ritualist,  Christ,  our  true  peace,  has  not 
risen  from  the  dead.  After  His  Resurrection  pax  vobis 
was  His  familiar  greeting. 

At  Masses  for  the  Dead  the  Pax  is  also  omitted,  as 
we  shall  see  later  under  Mass  for  the  Dead. 


FROM   THE    COMMUNION  TO  THE    END 
OF   HIGH   MASS. 


When  the  subdeacon  has  concluded  giving  the  Pax 
he  rejoins  the  priest  at  his  right  hand,  and  removes 
the  pall  from  the  chalice  before  the  priest  drinks  the 
Precious  Blood.  When  the  Communion  of  the  priest 
and  faithful  is  over,  the  subdeacon  ministers  wine  for 
the  purification ;  and  wine  and  water  for  the  ablution. 
The  deacon  and  subdeacon  change  places,  the  deacon 
removing  the  Missal  to  the  Epistle  side.  The  priest 
having  received  the  ablution  leaves  the  chalice  and 
purificator,  and  goes  to  the  Missal  at  the  Epistle 
side  to  read  the  Communion.  The  subdeacon  arranges 
the  chalice  and  purificator,  puts  the  corporal  into  the 
burse,  and  having  covered  the  chalice  and  paten  with 
the  veil,  bears  them  with  the  burse  resting  on  them 
to  the  credence-table.  After  placing  the  chalice  on 
the  credence-table,  he  goes  to  his  place  behind 
the  priest  and  deacon.  The  celebrant  after  reading  the 
Communion  goes  to  the  middle  of  the  altar,  sings  the 
Dominus  vobiscum,  and  is  answered  by  the  choir ; 


THE  END   OF  HIGH  MASS.  zoy 

then  returning  to  the  Missal,  he  sings  the  Postcom- 
munion  prayer  or  prayers.  Returning  to  the  middle  he 
again  sings  Dominus  vobiscum,  and  is  answered  by 
the  choir.  Then  the  deacon,  turning  to  the  people,  sings 
the  Ite  Missa  est  or  the  Benedicamus  Domino 
towards  the  altar.  The  celebrant,  after  blessing 
the  congregation,  reads  the  Gospel.  That  over,  all 
bow  to  the  middle  of  the  altar,  descend  the  steps, 
genuflect1  if  the  Blessed  Sacrament  be  reserved,  and 
preceded  by  the  acolytes  with  lights  return  to  the 
sacristy.  (Taken  in  part  from  Canon  Oakelcy's  Ceremonial  of 
the  Mass.] 

1  "  Genuflexion  (the  bending  of  the  knee)  is  a  natural  sign  of 
adoration  or  reverence.  The  faithful  genuflect  in  passing  before 
the  tabernacle  where  the  Blessed  Sacrament  is  reserved,  and  on 
both  knees  when  It  is  exposed.  The  early  Christians  prayed 
standing  on  Sundays,  and  from  Easter  till  Pentecost,  and  only 
bent  the  knee  in  sign  of  penance."  (Cath.  Diet.  p.  401.)  Prostration 
is  much  earlier  than  genuflexion.  Prostration  is  still  prescribed  for 
the  Sacred  Ministers  before  the  Mass  of  the  Presanctified  on  Good 
Friday  and  during  a  portion  of  the  Litany  sung  on  Holy  Saturday 
morning.  At  an  Ordination  Mass  the  candidates  to  be  ordained 
fall  upon  their  faces  during  the  chanting  of  the  Litany ;  and  at 
the  Coronation  Service  also,  while  the  Litany  is  sung,  the  Sovereign 
elect  lies  prostrate  on  the  ground.  "But  the  Good  Friday  prostra- 
tion probably  recalls  an  act  of  humiliation  which  was  as  habitually 
practised  in  the  early  Church  as  genuflexion  is  with  us,  every  time 
that  the  Chief  Pontiff  and  his  attendants  made  their  solemn  entry 
into  the  sanctuary  for  High  Mass.  ...  It  would  seem  that  the 
Good  Friday  Service  alone  has  retained  unchanged  a  feature  which 
eleven  hundred  years  ago  was  witnessed  at  the  beginning  of  every 
Mass."  (Father  Thurston's  Ceremonies  of  Holy  Week,  pp.  4,  6.)  To- 
this  day  a  Coptic  priest  in  communion  with  Rome,  says  Mass 
without  a  single  genuflexion.  At  his  Mass  a  profound  inclination 
takes  the  place  of  genuflexion.  So  late  as  the  fourteenth  century 
the  celebrant  made  a  bow  (inclinatio)  in  token  of  adoration.  He 
did  not  genuflect  at  or  after  the  Consecration. 


204  THE   END   OF  HIGH    MASS. 


QUESTIONS  ON  CHAPTER  XVI. 

1.  Why  are  lights  used  at  Liturgical  Services  ? 

2.  What  may  be  the  origin  of  the  Seven  Candles  at  a 
Pontifical  High  Mass  ? 

3.  May  electric   light   be   used   at   the   Altar  instead   of 
candles  ? 

4.  What  is  symbolized  by  the  kiss  of  peace  ?     What  was 
the  Osculatoriutn  ? 

5.  What  is  the  origin  of  Prostration  at  the  Ordination 
Service  ?     Is  it  seen  elsewhere  in  the  Liturgy  ? 


CHAPTER   the   SEVENTEENTH. 


MASS   FOR  THE   DEAD. 

MASS  for  the  Dead  ranks  amongst  Votive  Masses. 

A  Votive  Mass  does  not  correspond  with  the  Office 
of  the  day ;  it  is  said  by  the  choice  of  the  priest,  hence 
its  name  (vottim).  A  Votive  Mass  may  be  said  on  all 
days  except  Sundays,  feasts  of  double  and  more 
than  double  rank,  and  certain  other  days  specially 
excepted. 

Mass  for  the  Dead  may  be  said  on  a  double  pro 
vided  the  body  be  present.     High   Mass  for  the  Dead 
is  forbidden  even  in  the  presence  of  the  body  during 
the  last  three  days  of  Holy  Week  and  on  all  the  great 
feasts  of  the  Church. 

Mass  for  the  Dead  is  said  (with  the  exception 
noted)  first,  when  the  person  dies,  or  as  the  Latin  phrase 
has  it,  In  die  obitus  seu  depositionis,  which  means  any  day 
that  intervenes  from  the  day  of  death  to  burial 
(Depositio — the  putting  away) ;  secondly,  on  the  third  day 
after  death,  in  memory,  as  has  been  suggested,  of  our 
Lord's  Resurrection  after  three  days;  thirdly,  on 
the  seventh  day,  in  memory  of  the  mourning  of 
the  Israelites  seven  days  for  Joseph ;  fourthly,  on  the 
thirtieth  day  (Month's  Mind),  in  memory  of  Aaron,  for 


206  THE  BEGINNING  TO  THE  OFFERTORY. 

whom  the  Israelites  mourned  thirty  days  (Numbers 
xx.  30) ;  and  finally,  at  the  end  of  a  year,  or  on  the 
anniversary. 

Special  Masses  for  the  Dead  (said  in  black  vest- 
ments) are  provided  by  the  Church  in  her  Missal. 

The  rubrics  of  Mass  for  the  Dead  differ  from  the 
rubrics  for  the  Mass  of  the  living  chiefly  by  way  of 
omission — which  we  proceed  to  show. 


I.  THE   BEGINNING  TO  THE 
OFFERTORY. 


The  Psalm  Judica  is  omitted.  Writers  on  the  Mass 
often  assign  the  reason  of  the  omission  of  the  Psalm  to 
its  joyful  character,  out  of  place  in  a  Mass  where  the 
Church  mourns  for  the  Dead.  It  may  perhaps  be  more 
correctly  stated  that  here  as  in  other  portions  of  the 
Mass  we  see  a  vestige  of  ancient  usage — for  during  the 
first  thousand  years,  if  not  more,  the  Jxdica  was  not 
said  at  Mass.  And  the  Church  saw  no  reason  for  its 
insertion  in  a  Mass  for  the  Faithful  Departed.  She  left 
things  as  they  were. 

At  the  Introit  the  celebrant  makes  the  sign  of  the 
•Cross  over  the  Missal,  which  is  thought  by  some  to 
extend  to  the  Holy  Souls,  expressive  of  the  Church's 
desire  that  the  fulness  of  the  Sacrifice  of  the  Cross 
should.,  as  far  as  possible,  be  applied  to  them. 

The  Introit  for  the  Holy  Souls  is  Eternal  rest  give 
unto  them,  O  Lord,  and  let  perpetual  light  shine 
upon  them.  A  Hymn,  O  God,  becometh  Thee  in 


THE  BEGINNING   TO  THE  OFFERTORY.  207 


Sion ;  and  a  vow  shall  be  paid  to  Thee  in 
Jerusalem  ;  O  hear  my  prayer;  all  flesh  shall  come 
to  Thee. 

This  Psalm  in  the  mouth  of  the  Holy  Souls  expresses 
their  ardent  desire  to  chant  the  canticle  of  praise  in  the 
Heavenly  Jerusalem.  God  will  grant  their  prayer 
more  willingly,  because  it  is  His  wish  that  "all  flesh," 
all  mankind,  should  be  with  Him  in  His  Kingdom. 

Next  follow  the  Kyrie  Eleison,  Collects,  Epistle, 
Tract,  Sequence,  and  Gospel,  all  specially  selected 
by  the  Church  for  a  Requiem  Mass.  In  that  Mass 
the  Jube,  Doinne,  benedicere — pray,  Sir,  bless  me — is 
omitted,  as  also  the  following  prayer  before  the 
Gospel  said  by  the  priest  at  Low,  and  also  by  the 
deacon  at  High  Mass — "  The  Lord  be  in  my  heart  and 
on  my  lips  that  I  may  worthily  and  in  a  becoming 
manner  announce  His  holy  Gospel.  Amen."  The 
book  is  not  kissed  at  the  end  nor  is  the  prayer  said, 
"  By  the  words  of  the  Gospel  may  our  sins  be  blotted 
out."  The  thoughts  of  the  Church  turn  solely  to  her 
dead.  She  omits  all  signs  of  joy  and  gladness.  Since 
the  Christian's  holy  death  is  a  motive  for  joy  and 
thanksgiving,  Alleluia  was  formerly  sung  in  the  Roman 
Mass  for  the  dead ;  and,  as  St.  Jerome  tells  us,  even  at 
funerals.  But  now  the  Church  banishes  not  merely  all 
songs  of  joy,  she  even  robs  her  High  Mass  of  a  portion 
of  its  solemnity  by  forbidding  the  deacon  before  singing 
the  Gospel  to  ask  the  celebrant's  blessing.  She  will 
not  even  allow  a  short  prayer  like  the  per  evangelica  dicta 
ddeantuv  nostva  delicta, — because  it  refers  more  to  the 
living  than  to  the  dead. 


208 


THE  OFFERTORY. 


II.  THE  OFFERTORY. 


The  Offertory  in  the  Requiem  Mass  deserves  special 
mention,  for  there  is  much  difference  of  opinion  amongst 
learned  writers  as  to  its  meaning.  This  Offertory  is 
the  only  one  which  still  retains  its  primitive  form.  It 
is  composed  of  an  antiphon,  a  versicle,  and  of  the 
concluding  words  of  the  antiphon  repeated. 


Domine,  Jesu  Christe,  Rex 
gloriae,  libera  animas  omnium 
fidelium  defunctorum  de 
poenis  infcrni,  et  de  profundo 
lacu  :  libera  eas  de  ore  leonis, 
ne  absorbeat  eas  tartarus, 
ne  cadant  in  obscurum ;  sed 
signifer  sanctus  Michael  re- 
praesentet  eas  in  lucem  sanc- 
tam  :  *  Quam  olim  Abrahae 
promisisti  et  semini  ejus. 


V.  Hostias  et  preces  tibi, 
Domine,  laudis  offerimus :  tu 
suscipe  pro  animabus  illis 
quarum  hodie  memoriam  faci- 
mus :  fac  eas,  Domine,  de 
morte  transire  ad  vitam : 
Quam  olim  Abrahae  prom- 
isisti et  semini  ejus. 


Lord  Jesus  Christ,  King  of 
glory,  deliver  the  souls  of  all 
the  faithful  departed  from  the 
pains  of  Hell  and  the  deep 
lake  ;  deliver  them  from  the 
mouth  of  the  lion :  let  not 
Hell  swallow  them  up,  nor  let 
them  fall  into  darkness ;  but 
let  the  Standard-bearer  St. 
Michael  guide  them  into  the 
holy  light  which  of  old  Thou 
didst  promise  to  Abraham 
and  his  seed. 

We  offer  Thee  victims,  O 
Lord,  and  prayers  of  praise  : 
mercifully  receive  them  for 
the  souls  whose  memory  we 
are  keeping  to-day  :  grant 
them  to  pass,  O  Lord,  from 
death  to  life :  which  of  old 
Thou  didst  promise  to 
Abraham  and  his  seed. 


It  might  seem  at  first  sight  from  certain  expressions 
in  this  Offertory  that  the  Church  means  to  pray  for 
the  salvation  even  of  lost  souls.  Deliver  the  souls  of 
all  the  faithful  departed  from  the  pains  of  Hell 
and  the  deep  lake ;  and  the  mouth  of  the  lion.  Let 


THE  OFFERTORY.  209 

not  Hell  swallow  them  up.  But  the  Church's  doctrine 
is  clear  and  distinct  in  inferno  nulla  est  redemptio,  in  Hell 
there  is  no  redemption.  Nor  is  it  the  present  usage  of 
the  Church  to  pray  even  for  a  mitigation  of  the  pains 
of  the  lost.  The  damned  have  no  share  whatever  in 
the  prayers  or  penances  of  the  faithful,  nor  do  they 
derive  the  least  benefit  from  the  Mass.  Theologians 
of  note  consider  the  above  words  as  a  prayer  to  save 
souls  from  perdition.  This  interpretation  suits  the  plain 
meaning  of  the  words.  The  Church  is  most  cautious  in 
her  use  of  terms.  She  has  a  language  of  her  own 
with  a  fixed  and  definite  meaning.  From  her  prayers 
we  learn  her  creed.  The  Church  in  speaking  of 
Purgatory  does  not  use  the  word  Iiifernus,  which  means 
the  Hell  of  the  damned.  We  find  Hell  used  of  three 
different  places  :  (i)  of  the  abode  of  the  lost  in  ever- 
lasting torments,  (2)  of  the  Limbo  of  the  Fathers,  called 
Paradise  by  our  Lord  in  the  pardon  granted  to  the 
penitent  thief:  "This  day  thou  shalt  be  with  Me  in 
Paradise  "  (Luke  xxiii.  43) ;  (3)  of  Limbo,  where  the 
souls  of  babes  dying  without  Baptism  find  a  happy  and 
eternal  home.  The  Limbo  of  the  Fathers  was 
emptied  of  its  prisoners  by  our  Lord  on  Ascension 
Day,  and  therefore  exists  no  longer.  The  place  of  merci- 
ful expiation  by  fire  is  not  called  Hell — the  recognized 
name  is  Purgatory.  Nor  does  the  Church  usually 
speak  of  Purgatory  as  death,  in  contrast  to  Heaven 
which  is  life.  Grant  them  to  pass  from  death  to  life 
does  not,  except  by  a  forced  interpretation,  mean  let 
them  pass  from  Purgatory  to  Heaven.  The  state  of  the 
souls  in  Purgatory  confirmed  in  grace,  dearer  to  God 
than  many  of  the  blessed  in  Heaven,  cannot  be  fittingly 
described  as  death.  In  the  language  of  Scripture  and  of 
the  Church,  death  and  life  are  opposed,  as  are  Hell  and 
o 


THE   OFFERTORY. 


Heaven.  Nor  is  it  likely  that  the  Church  would  apply 
to  Purgatory  the  very  word  Tartarus,  which  St.  Peter 
applies  to  Hell  in  the  well-known  passage  of  the  Second 
Epistle,  where  he  speaks  of  the  fallen  angels:  "  For  if 
God  spared  not  the  angels  which  sinned :  but  delivered 
them  drawn  down  by  infernal  ropes  to  the  lower  Hell, 
unto  torments,  to  be  reserved  unto  judgment" — rndenti- 
bus  inferni  detmctos  in  TARTARUM  tradidit  cniciandos. 

Without  violence  to  language  we  can  easily  interpret 
the  Church's  words  in  the  Offertory  of  the  Requiem 
Mass  in  strict  accordance  with  her  doctrine. 

Cardinal  Wiseman,  following  distinguished  modern 
writers,  reminds  us  that  the  Services  of  the  Church  are 
eminently  dramatic.  In  her  hands  the  past  becomes  the 
present.  In  her  Office  for  Advent  and  Christmas  she 
places  the  manger  at  Bethlehem  before  our  eyes  as  if 
the  Divine  Babe  had  just  been  born,  and  in  Holy 
VTeek  she  speaks  of  each  incident  in  the  Passion  as  if 
it  were  enacted  that  moment  before  us.  The  Church 
kneels  in  spirit,  so  thinks  this  great  man,  beside  the 
dying  beds  of  her  children,  and  mindful  of  the 
tremendous  risk,  pours  forth  her  earnest  supplications 
for  the  souls  whose  fate  for  eternity  is  soon  to  be  fixed ; 
or  to  follow  Father  Suarez,  more  dramatic  still,  the 
Church  represents  souls  at  the  moment  of  their 
departure  from  the  body  on  their  road  to  Judgment 
and  begs  for  them  the  mercy  of  God.  Deliver  the 
souls  of  all  the  faithful  departed  from  the  pains 
of  Hell  and  the  deep  lake ;  deliver  them  from  the 
mouth  of  the  lion :  let  not  Hell  swallow  them  up. 
The  concluding  words  of  the  versicle — fac  eas,  Domine, 
de  morte  transire  ad  vitam,  can  be  explained,  without 
strain,  to  mean, — let  them  pass  from  temporal  death, 
O  Lord,  to  the  glory  of  that  existence  which  alone 


PROM  THE  OFFERTORY  TO  THE  "AGNUS  DEI."     211 

deserves   the   name  of  life.  (Suarez  in  III.  D.  83.  s.  i. 
n.  29,  quoted  by  Gihr  on  the  Mass.) 

Instances  might  easily  be  quoted  to  show  that  this 
interpretation  is  in  keeping  with  the  Church's  prayers 
for  the  departed  in  her  Office,  and  in  her  funeral  service 
at  the  grave.  This  method  of  prayer,  as  it  has  been 
well  remarked,  helps  the  dead  and  benefits  the  living 
by  reminding  them  to  prepare  for  death. 


III.  FROM  THE  OFFERTORY  TO  THE 
AGNUS  DEI. 


From  the  Offertory  to  the  Agnus  Dei  the  Requiem 
Mass,  save  in  the  Collects,  does  not  differ  from  an 
ordinary  Mass.  Since  the  eleventh  or  twelfth  century 
the  Agnus  Dei  in  a  Requiem  Mass  is  slightly  different. 
Instead  of  Miserere  nobis  after  the  first  and  second 
Agnus  Dei,  Dona  eis  requiem  is  said,  and  for  Dona 
nobis  pacem  the  Church  ordains  Dona  eis  requiem 
sempiternam.  In  the  Ambrosian  rite,  which  still  holds 
in  the  Cathedral  at  Milan,  after  sempiternam  the  celebrant 
adds  et  locum  indulgentiae  cum  sanctis  tuis  in 
gloria  (and  an  abode  of  mercy  with  Thy  saints  in  glory). 
Why  this  alteration  in  the  Roman  rite  ?  St.  Thomas 
teaches  that  the  Church  in  her  prayers  for  the  dead 
begs  for  rest  and  not  peace.  Peace  is  the  effect  of  rest, 
and  before  we  ask  peace  for  the  Holy  Souls  we  must  first 
secure  their  everlasting  rest.  "  The  Sacrifice  is  offered 
not  for  the  present  peace  Of  the  dead  but  for  their  rest." 
(S.  Th.  III.  q.  83.  ad.  i.)  For  the  same  reason  the 


212  FROM  THE  "AGNUS  DEI"  TO  THE  END. 

prayer  for  peace  is  omitted.  The  kiss  of  peace,  or  the 
Pax  as  it  is  called,  is  forbidden  at  the  Requiem  Mass, 
because,  as  some  think,  the  kiss  of  peace  is  a  sign  of  joy, 
and  as  such  is  out  of  place  in  a  Mass  where  the  thoughts 
of  the  Church  are  full  of  sorrow  and  pain  for  the 
souls  yearning  for  God.  A  better  reason  is  that  the 
Pax  was  closely  connected  with  the  receiving  of  Holy 
Communion  by  the  faithful.  The  Pax  was,  in  a  certain 
sense,  a  preparation  for  Communion.  For  centuries 
Communion  was  not  given  at  Masses  for  the  Dead. 
During  that  long  period  the  kiss  of  peace  was  con- 
sidered out  of  place.  Permission  for  Holy  Communion 
in  Masses  for  the  Dead  is  of  comparatively  recent 
introduction ;  and  the  Church,  clinging  as  usual  to 
ancient  practice,  omits  the  kiss  of  peace. 


IV.    FROM  THE  "AGNUS  DEI"  TO  THE 
END. 


From  the  Agnus  Dei  to  the  last  Gospel  the  rubrics 
are  the  same  in  Masses  for  the  Dead  as  for  the  living; 
with  these  two  exceptions — instead  of  Ite  Missa  est, 
Requiescant  in  pace  is  prescribed,  and  the  priest's 
blessing  is  not  given.  Ite  Missa  est  is  not  said  because, 
says  Benedict  XIV.  on  the  Mass  (Bk.  ii.),  the  intention 
in  Masses  for  the  Dead  is  to  obtain  their  everlasting 
rest,  or  because  it  was  not  usual  at  this  point  to  dismiss 
the  congregation.  Many  remained  to  pray  beside  the 
body  or  to  join  in  the  Church's  Office  for  the  Dead. 

Formerly  it  was  customary  for  the  priest  to  give  his 
blessing  in  Masses  for  the  Dead.  This  custom  has  now 


FROM  THE  "AGNUS  DEI"  TO  THE  END.  21 J 

disappeared.  Benedict  XIV.  quotes  approvingly  Le 
Brun  on  the  Mass  (Vol.  i.  p.  588),  who  maintains  that 
the  reason  of  the  omission  of  the  priest's  blessing  is 
the  Church's  desire  to  deprive  the  Requiem  Mass  of  all 
unnecessary  solemnity. 

Our  knowledge  of  Purgatory  is  extremely  limited. 
No  Pope  or  Council  has  by  authoritative  utterance  told 
us  where  it  is,  or  how  long  the  soul  may  suffer  there, 
or  has  described  to  us  the  nature  of  its  agony.  The 
Council  of  Florence  teaches  that  the  souls  in  Purgatory 
are  cleansed  by  pains ;  and  the  Council  of  Trent  adds 
(Sess.  xxv.)  "  that  the  souls  detained  there  are  helped 
by  the  suffrages  of  the  faithful,  and  especially  by  the 
acceptable  Sacrifice  of  the  Altar."  Mass,  and  espe- 
cially Requiem  Mass,  is  that  "  acceptable  Sacrifice." 
It  is  the  most  precious  gift  we  can  offer  on  behalf  of  the 
holy  souls.  So  far  as  the  essence  of  the  Sacrifice  is 
concerned,  all  Masses  are  equal,  but  we  should  never 
forget  that  the  prayers  of  the  Requiem  Mass  are  said  in 
the  Church's  name  and  by  the  Church's  order,  and 
consequently  secure  special  graces  for  the  departed. 
The  piety  and  devotion  of  the  priest  in  any  Mass  may 
compensate,  says  St.  Thomas,  for  the  loss  of  this  special 
grace. 

PIE    JESU    DOMINE, 
DONA    EIS    REQUIEM.       AMEN. 

MERCIFUL    LORD    JESUS, 
GRANT    THEM    REST.       AMEN. 


FROM  THE  "AGNUS  DEI"  TO  THE  END. 


QUESTIONS  ON  CHAPTER  XVII. 

1.  What  is  a  Votive  Mass  ?     When  can   Requiem   Mass 
be  said  ? 

2.  What  is   there   peculiar   about  the    Offertory  in   the 
Requiem    Mass  ?      Show   how   the   Church's  teaching  con- 
cerning Purgatory  is  contained  in  it. 

3.  Why  is  the  word  Requiem  substituted  for  pacem  in  the 
Agnus  Dei  ?    Why  is  the  Pax  omitted  ? 

4.  Why  is  the  priest's  blessing  omitted  ? 

5.  State  the  special  advantages  of  a  Requiem  Mass  for 
the  Souls  in  Purgatory.     Can  these  advantages  be  otherwise 
supplied  ? 


INDEX. 


A. 

ABEL  p.  138. 

Ablutions  p.  165. 

Abraham  p.  139. 

Absolution  in  Mass  p.  58. 

Acolyte  p.  184. 

"Action"    p.    114;    "Within 

the  Action  "  p.  122. 
Addition  or  Einbolisnius  p.  155. 
Additions  to  Canon  pp.  114, 

126,  139;  to  Nicene  Creed 

pp.  84,  85. 

Adoration  of  Blessed  Sacra- 
ment expressed  by  various 

signs  pp.  134,  203,  note. 
Agnus   Dei   p.    159;    in    High 

Mass  p.  200;  in  Masses  for 

Dead  p.  211. 
Alb  p.  17. 
Alleluia  p.  76;  in  Masses  for 

Dead   p.    207 ;    major  and 

minor  p.  77. 
Alphonsus,  St.,  on  the  Mass 

p.  xiii. 
Altar,    Consecration     p.    14; 

definition  p.  12;    incensing 

pp.  189,  195;    kinds   p.  13; 

kissing  pp.  60,  70,  117,  140, 

173,  201. 

Altar-cloths  p.  15. 

Amen,  meaning  of  pp.  51,  74. 

Ainbo  p.  44. 

Ambrosian  rite  p.  37. 

Amice  pp.  xvi.  16. 


Angel   in   prayer   of  Asperges 

p.  23. 

Angels  pp.  no,  196. 
Antiphon,  meaning  of  p.  52. 
Apostles  pp.  56,  124. 
Apostolic,  the  Church  p.  94. 
Archangels  pp.  57,  no,  196. 
Archdeacon  p.  157. 
Arius  pp.  55,  84. 
Arms  extended  in  prayer  p.  72. 
Ashes  p.  14. 
Asperges  p.  22. 
Authorities,     short     list     of 

p.  xxiii. 

B. 

BAPTISM  p.  94. 

Bell,  rung  at  Elevation  p.  135 ; 

little  Elevation  p.  149. 
Bellarmine  on  the  altar  p.  12 ; 

on  words  •'  gifts  and  grants  " 

P-  137- 

Benedicamus  Domino  p.  171. 
Benedicite       Pater       reverende 

p.  194. 
Benedict  XIV.  quoted  pp.  xv, 

xvii,  213. 
Benedictioncs    invocativae,   con- 

stitutivae  p.  13. 
Berengarius  p.  135. 
Berretta  pp.  xvi,  16,  50. 
Bishop,  blessing  of,  at  end  of 

Mass    p.  173 ;    blessing    of 

oils  by  p.  157;  consecrates 


216 


INDEX. 


altar,  altar-stone  and  church 
pp.  14,  igo ;  dalmatic  once 
restricted  to  p.  188;  Gloria 
once  restricted  to  p.  65 ; 
stole  as  worn  by  p.  18 ; 
number  of  candles  in  Mass 
of  p.  187. 

Bishops,  Diocesan  p.  48. 

Bishops,  Cardinal  p.  48. 

Black  vestments,  when  used 
pp.  21,  206. 

Blessed  Virgin,  see  Mary. 

Blessing  of  altar  p.  14 ;  of 
altar-linen  and  chalices 
p.  20;  of  ashes  p.  14;  of 
deacon  p.  192 ;  of  fruits  of 
earth  p.  146 ;  of  gifts  p.  157 ; 
of  incense  pp.  190,  196 ; 
nuptial  p.  xix ;  of  oil 
p.  147 ;  of  salt  p.  14 ;  of 
subdeacon  p.  191 ;  of  vest- 
ments p.  16;  of  water  pp.  14, 
22, 194 ;  of  wine  p.  1 1 ;  at  end 
of  Mass  p.  173 ;  omitted  in 
Requiem  Mass  pp.  200, 213  ; 
two  kinds  p.  13. 

Body,  inclined  pp.  57,  80,  101, 
104,116,139,141;  prostrate 
p.  203  note. 

Bread,  leavened  and  un- 
leavened p.  97. 

Burchard  p.  xiii. 

Burse  p.  19. 

C. 

CANDLES,  offering  of  p.  xviii ; 
at  Gospel  p.  82 ;  use  and 
meaning  in  liturgical  ser- 
vice pp.  185  et  seq. 

Candlesticks  on  altar  p.  188. 

Candlemas  p.  185. 

Canon  p.  xxi;  added  to  pp. 
114,  126,  139;  antiquity  of 
p.  114;  denned  p.  114. 

Canonization  p.  113. 

Catholic,  meaning  of  p.  93. 

Carmelite  rite  p.  37. 


Carthusian  rite  p.  37. 
Chalice,    blessing    of    p.   20 ; 

consecration  of  pp.  20,  131 ; 

elevation  of  p.  134 ;  material 

of    p.   20;    meaning   of    in 

Scripture   p.    133 ;    veil    of 

p.  19. 
Chasuble  p.  19  ;  Gothic  p.  19; 

Roman  p.  19. 
Cherubim  p.  no. 
Chinese  in  the  Liturgy  p.  31. 
Choir  sing  Benedictus  p.  199  • 

Credo    p.    194;    Kyrie   and 

Gloria  p.  190. 
Choirs  of  angels  p.  no. 
Chrism  p.  14. 
Christ,  meaning  of  p.  87. 
Church  p.  93. 
Clement       VIII.       legislates 

about     form     of     blessing 

P-  173- 

Collect  pp.  xv,  72. 
Colours  of  vestments  p.  20. 
Cominunicantes,    explained    p. 

122. 

Communion  in  both  kinds  of 
strict  obligation  for  priest 
pp.  4, 165;  rite  p.  47;  belongs 
to  integrity  of  Mass  pp.  4, 
165  ;  prayers  before  p.  160; 
antiphon  p.  167. 

Concelebration  of  Bishop 
and  Priests  p.  136. 

Confessors  first  admitted  to 
Canonization  pp.  115,  124. 

Confiieor  p.  56. 

Consecration,  introduction  to 
p.  129;  words  of  p.  35; 
explained  p.  130;  in  High 
Mass  p.  198. 

Constance,  Council  of  p.  xx. 

Coptic  in  the  Liturgy  pp.  26. 
33  ;  rite  p.  203,  note. 

Corporal  p.  19. 

Council  p.  4 ;  see  under  names 
Florence,  Trent,  &c. 

Credo  pp.  83  et  seq.,  193. 


INDEX. 


217 


Creed  pp.  83  et  seq.,  193. 

Cross,  sign  of  explained  pp.  50, 
51  ;  made  with  hand  on  the 
body  pp.  50,  61,  81,  193 ; 
over  deacon  p.  192 ;  over 
consecrated  elements  pp. 
137,148;  over  Gospel  pp.  81, 
193  ;  over  incense  pp.  190, 
192, 196  ;  over  missal  p.  191 ; 
over  oblata  pp.  102, 1 17, 128  ; 
over  people  p.  173 ;  over 
subdeacon  p.  191  ;  over 
water  pp.  99,  194 ;  made 
with  chalice  pp.  101,  165; 
with  consecrated  Host  pp. 
148,  157,  164;  with  paten 
p.  99 ;  single  and  triple  sign 
of  cross  p.  173  ;  omission  of 
p.  213;  cross  worked  on 
altar  p.  14 ;  on  altar-cloths 
p.  15;  on  vestments  pp.  16 
et  seq. 

Crucifix  over  altar  p.  iSS. 

D. 

DAILY  bread  p.  154. 

Dalmatic  p.  188. 

Deacon,  manner  of   wearing 

stole  p.  18 ;  at  High  Mass 

pp.  xviii,  184  et  seq. 
Dead,   Memento   for  p.   141  ; 

change  in  Agnus  Dei  p.  159 ; 

Requiescant  in  pace  p.  171  ; 

pax     omitted      in     Masses 

for  pp.  202,  212;    Mass  for 

pp.  205  et  seq. 
Deo  gratias  p.  75. 
Devotion  p.  121. 
Diptychs  pp.  120,  141. 
Disciplina  arcani  pp.  xvii,  83. 
Discipline  of  the  Secret  pp. 

xv, 83. 

Dominations  p.  in. 
Dominus  vobisciiin  pp.  xvii,  70; 

sung  pp.  191  et  seq. 
Dove,  figure  of,  to  hold  the 

Blessed  Sacrament  p.  15. 


Doxology  pp.  55,  65. 
Dramatic      presentation      in 

Church  services  p.  210. 
Dominican  rite  p.  37. 
Davidic  Psalter  p.  44. 

E. 
EASTER,  charge  in   Gradual 

P-77- 

Electric  light  p.  187. 
Elevation  at  different  epochs 

p.     134  ;     little     Elevation 

P-  149- 

Embolismus  p.  155. 
Ends  of  Sacrifice  p.  5. 
Epistle  p.  74  ;  sung  p.  191. 
Essence    in   general    defined 

p.  3  ;  Essence  of  Mass  p.  3. 
Eucharist  as  Sacrament  and 

Sacrifice  p.  i ;  meaning  of 

word  pp.  6,  166;  a  gift  p. 

109;  synonyms  of  p.  167. 
Eucharistic  prayer  p.  46. 
Evangeliary  p.  38. 
Ex  opere  operate  p.  10. 
Extant  liturgies  p.  37. 
Eyes,  raising   of  pp.  97,   115, 

129. 

F. 

FASTING  before  Communion 
p.  165;  relaxed  pp.  5,  165. 

Father,  God  the  p.  86. 

Father,  the  prayer  Our  p.  153. 

Filioque  added  to  Creed  pp. 
85,  92. 

Florence,  Council  of,  on 
Filioque  p.  92  ;  on  Purga- 
tory p.  213;  mixing  of  water 
p.  97 ;  use  of  wine  p.  97. 

Fruits  of  earth  blessed  p.  146. 

G. 

Gaudete  Sunday  p.  63. 
Gelasian  Sacramentary  p.  39. 
Genuflexion  p.  203,  note. 
Girdle  p.  17. 


218 


INDEX. 


Gloria  in  Excelsis  pp.  44,  55 ; 

sung  p.  191. 
Gloria  Patri  p.  55. 
Glory  be  to  the  Father,  &c. 

P-55- 

God  p.  86. 
Good    Friday    pp.   202,   203, 

note. 
Gospel  p.   80 ;    singing   of  p. 

191 ;  St.  John's  pp.  ij$etseq. 
Gradual  pp.  38,  76. 
Greek  used  in   Mass  pp.  27, 

5i.  64,  65. 
Greek   rite,   Elevation   in,   p. 

134;  bread  used  p.  97. 
Green  vestments,  when  used 

p.  21. 
Gregorian    Sacramentary    p. 

40. 
Gregory  the   Great   adds   to 

Canon  p.  126  ;  inserts  Pater 

noster     immediately     after 

Canon  p.  152  ;  on  the  Kyrie 

eleison  p.  43. 

H. 

Hanc  igitur  explained  p.  126. 

Hands,  extending,  raising, 
joining  of  pp.  68,  108,  115, 
138,  139 ;  held  over  obla- 
tion p.  125 ;  meaning  of 
imposition  of  p.  125  ;  wash- 
ing of  p.  103. 

Hebrew  used  in  Mass  pp.  51, 
64. 

Hell  p.  209. 

Holy,  the  Church  p.  93. 

Holy  Ghost,  p.  91  ;  the  Sanc- 
tifier  p.  102. 

Holy  Saturday  pp.  185,  186, 
202. 

Holy  Week,  ceremonies  pecu- 
liar to  pp.  185,  186,  202, 
203,  note. 

Hosanna  p.  112. 

Host,  in  altar-stone  p.  14; 
adoration  of  pp.  134,  203, 


note  ;  blessing  of  pp.  102, 
117,  128, 137,  148;  breaking 
of  p.  156;  consecration  of 
pp.  131,  198;  elevation  of 
pp.  134,  149;  material  of 
p.  97 ;  offering  of  pp.  97, 
1 88 ;  sign  of  cross  made 
with  pp.  148,  157,  164. 

I. 

IMPETRATORY,     meaning     of 

p.  10. 

Imposition  of  hands  p.  125. 
Incarnation  p.  89. 
Incense  pp.  80,  82,  189,  192, 

iQ5»  J99- 

Indidgentiam  p.  58. 
Inquisition,    Decree    of     the 

Holy,  on  use  of  Chinese  in 

Mass  p.  32. 

Instrumentuni  pads  p.  201. 
Introit  p.  62. 
Isaac  p.  139. 
Ite  Missa  est  pp.  171,  212. 

J- 

JESUS  pp.  67,  87. 

Jube  domne  benedicere  p.  192; 

omitted  p.  207. 
Judica,  explanation  of  psalm 

pp.     52     et    seq. ;     omitted 

pp.  xvi,  206. 
Justin  Martyr  p.  42. 

K. 

KINDS,  Communion  under 
both  pp.  xxii,  133 ;  consecra- 
tion in  both  pp.  3,  4,  133. 

King,  Christ  as  p.  87. 

Kiss  of  peace  pp.  xix,  200 ; 
omitted  in  Holy  Week  and 
Masses  for  Dead  pp.  202, 

212. 

Kissing  of  altar  pp.  60, 105  ;  of 
Gospel  pp.  82,  193 ;  of 
hands  pp.  192,  195,  197, 200 ; 


INDEX. 


219 


of   paten  pp.    194,  200 ;  of 

chalice  p.  195  ;  of  instrumen- 

titni  pacts  p.  201. 
Knabenbauer    on    St.   John's 

Gospel  p.  178. 
Kyrie  pp,  43,  51,  64,  190. 

L. 

Laetare  Sunday  p.  63. 
Lamb  of  God  p.  67. 
Languages  used  in  Mass  pp. 

25  et  seq.,  51. 
Latin   used   in    Mass    pp.  25 

et  seq.,  51. 
Last  Supper,  p.  36. 
Lauda  Sion  p.  78. 
Lavabo  pp.  102,  198. 
Left  of  altar  p.  82. 
Lights  at  Mass  pp.  185  et  seq. ; 

at  Gospel  pp.  80,  82,  192 ; 

at  Consecration  p.  198. 
Limbo  p.  209. 
Liturgical  services  denned  p. 

213. 

Lord  p.  87. 

Leonine  Sacramentary  p.  39. 
Lectionary  p.  38. 

M. 

MACEDONIUS  p.  84;  heresy  of 
p.  90. 

Maniple  pp.  xvii,  17. 

Marcellus  of  Ancyra  p.  84. 

Martyrs  in  Mass  pp.  14,  60, 
124,  143  ;  relics  of,  in  altar- 
stone  p.  60. 

Mary  in  Mass  pp.  57,  123; 
always  Virgin  p.  89. 

Mass,  definition  p.  2;  essence 
p.  3;  effects  pp.  x  et  seq., 
2  et  seq.,  213;  black,  or 
Requiem,  or  for  dead  pp. 
10,  205  et  seq.;  votive  p.  205 ; 
Papal  pp.  xv,  xx,  70 ;  of 
Ordination  p.  203,  note  ;  of 


Presanctified  pp.  45,  203, 
note;  High  pp.  xvii,  101, 
184  et  seq. ;  Low  p.  101  ; 
in  honour  of  saints  p.  2, 
note ;  offered  for  living 
p.  119;  for  dead  pp.  205, 
213;  prayers  at  p.  xx ; 
meaning  of  word  p.  xiv. 

Maundy  Thursday  pp.  147, 
202. 

Melchisedech  p.  139. 

Memento  for  living  p.  119; 
for  dead  p.  141. 

Migne  pp.  38  et  seq. 

Miser  eat  ur  p.  58. 

MissaCatechumenorum,fidelium 
p.  83 ;  cantata  p.  184. 

Missal  p.  xvii. 

Month's  Mind  p.  205. 

Mozarabic  rite  pp.  37,  152. 

Miiiula  pp.  xvii,  80,  192. 

Mystical  destruction  of  victim 
in  Mass  p.  4. 

N. 

NEWMAN,  on  discipline  of  the 
secret  p.  83. 

Nice,  Council  of  p.  55. 

Nicene  Creed  pp.  83  et  seq ; 
additions  to  pp.  84,  85. 

Nobis  quoque  peccatoribus  ex- 
plained p.  143. 

Nuptial  blessing  p.  40. 

O. 

OFFERING  of  chalice  pp.  99, 
195 ;  of  Host  pp.  97,  194. 

Offerings  of  the  faithful  p.  46. 

Offertory,  meaning  of  pp.  xviii, 
96;  in  Mass  for  Dead 
p.  208. 

Oil,  Blessing  of  Holy  p.  147. 

One,  The  Church  p.  93. 

Orarium  p.  18. 

Oratio  ad  coniplendum  p.  40. 

Oratio  imperata  p.  74. 


INDEX. 


Ordinary    of     Mass     p.    50 ; 

prayers   of,   explained    pp. 

xx  et  seq. 

Ordines  Roinani  p.  41. 
Ordo  Romanus  Primus  pp.  41 

et  seq. 

Or  emus  pp.  xviii,  45,  71. 
Oriental  rite  p.  26. 
Osculatorium  p.  201. 
Our  Lady  pp.  39,  89,  123. 

P. 

PALL  p.  ig. 

Papal  Mass  pp.  xv,  xx,  49,  70. 
Paschal  Candle  p.  185. 
Paten  pp.  xviii,  20,  195. 
Pater  noster  p.  152;    in  High 

Mass     p.    199 ;     why    said 

aloud  p.  xv. 
Pax    pp.    xix,    200;     omitted 

pp.  202,  212. 

Pax  vobis  pp.  xvii,  71. 

Peace,  prayer  for  p.  160; 
kiss  of  p.  200 ;  omitted  pp. 
202,  212. 

Pius  V.  introduces  uniformity 
p.  37 ;  prescribes  Gloria 
p.  65 ;  imposition  of  hands 
p.  125 ;  form  of  blessing 

P-  i?3- 

Placeat  p.  171. 
Pope,     dalmatic     exclusively 

used  by  p.  188. 
Postcommunion  p.  169. 
Powers  p.  in. 
Prayers  said  while  vestments 

are  put  on  pp.  17  et  seq.;  at 

Asperges  p.  23  ;   for  peace 

and      before     Communion 

p.  160;  at  Mass  xx. 
Preface  of  Mass  pp.  6,  107, 

198. 
Presanctified,  Mass  of  p.  203, 

note. 
Priest  p.  12  ;  Christ  as  pp.  x, 

87 ;      manner    of    wearing 

stole  p.  18. 


Principalities  p.  1 10. 
Prophet  p.    88;   inspired   by 

Holy   Ghost  p.  92 ;    Christ 

as  p.  87. 

Propitiatory,  meaning  of  p.  7. 
Prose  p.  78. 

Pugillaris  ("  tube  ")  p.  48. 
Purgatory,    Mass    efficacious 

for  souls  in  pp.  xiv,  10,  202, 

213. 

Purification  p.  185. 
Purificator  p.  20. 

R. 

RED    vestments,   when    used 

p.  20. 

"  Regions"  of  Rome  p.  187. 
"  Regionaries  "  p.  187. 
Relics  in  altar-stone  pp.   14, 

60. 
Requiem  Mass  pp.  10,  205  et 

seq. 
Requiescant   in  pace    pp.    171, 

212. 

Resurrection  of  Christ  p.  90 ; 
of  dead  p.  94. 

Right  of  altar  p.  82. 

Rites  pp.  xiii,  26  ;  Ambrosian 
p.  152;  Coptic  pp.  26,  33, 
203,  note ;  Greek  pp.  27, 
134 ;  Mozarabic  p.  152 ; 
Oriental  p.  26 ;  Roman 
pp.  25  et  seq.,  156;  Slavonic 
pp.  26,  33  ;  Syriac  p.  26. 

Rochet  p.  17. 

Rubrics  p.  xiii. 

Roman  Mass  in  the  eighth 
century  pp.  35  et  seq. 

S. 

SABAOTH  p.  in. 

Saints  in  Confiteor  p.  56 ; 
in  Canon  pp.  124,  143;  Mass 
said  in  honour  of  p.  2,  note. 

Sacrament  p.  i ;  House  p.  15. 


INDEX. 


Sacrifice  p.  i ;  ends  of  p.  5. 

Salt  p.  14. 

Satisfactory  power  of  Mass 
pp.  x,  9. 

Secret  prayers  p.  106;  disci- 
pline  of  the  p.  83. 

Sepulchre  in  altar-stone  p.  14. 

Seraphim  p.  in. 

Sequence  p.  78. 

Sexes,  separation  of,  in  church 
pp.  xix,  201. 

Sins  remitted  by  Mass  pp.  x,  | 
7 ;  by  Baptism  p.  94. 

Slavonic  in  the   Liturgy  pp.   , 
26,  33. 

St.  Gabriel  p.  196. 

St.  John,  Gospel  of  p.  173. 

St.  John  Baptist  pp.  57,  143. 

St.  Joseph  not  admitted  to 
Canon  p.  xxi. 

St.  Leo  adds  to  Canon  p.  139. 

St.  Mary  Magdalene,  her 
Credo  p.  84. 

St.  Matthias,  why  omitted 
p.  124  ;  inserted  p.  143. 

St.  Michael  pp.  57,  196. 

St.  Augustine  p.  42. 

Sancta  p.  47. 

Stational  Mass  p.  41. 

St.  Thomas,  on  efficacy  of 
Mass  in  procuring  forgive- 
ness of  sins  p.  9  ;  on  essen- 
tial and  accidental  value 
of  Mass  p.  ii ;  on  separate 
consecration  of  the  Blood 
p.  133 ;  on  consecration  of 
person,  vessels,  &c.  p.  12. 

Stabat  Mater  p.  78. 

Standing  at  Gospel  pp.  82, 
192 ;  as  attitude  of  prayer 
p.  203,  note. 

Stole  p.  1 8. 

Suarez  explains  "  communi- 
cating and  honouring " 
p.  123;  explains  adscriptam 
p.  127;  on  words  of  con- 
secration p.  132 ;  explains 


unde  et  memores  p.  136 ;  on 

Offertory     in    Masses     for 

Dead  p.  210. 
Subdeacon  at  High  Mass  pp. 

xviii,  184  et  seq. 
Super  diptycha  p.  40. 
"Supernumeraries"  p.  187. 
Super  Oblata  p.  39. 
Supplices  te  rogaimis  explained 

P-  139- 

Supra  quae  explained  p.  138. 
Surplice  p.  17. 
Symbolism  of  lights,  incense, 

&c.,see  under  lights,  incense, 

&c. 

Symbolum  p.  84. 
Syriac  Liturgy  p.  26. 

T. 

TABERNACLE  p.  15. 

Tartarus  p.  210. 

Te  Deum  pp.  xi,  65. 

Tenebrae  p.  186. 

Thanksgiving  pp.  x,  7,  167. 

Tract  p.  78. 

Transubstantiation  p.  130. 

Trent,  Council  of,  defines 
Mass  p.  2  ;  prescribes  tone 
of  voice  pp.  59, 1 15 ;  defines 
Canon  p.  114;  adopts  term 
Transubstantiation  p.  130; 
on  incense  p.  189 ;  on  mix- 
ing of  wine  and  water  pp. 
97,  99 ;  on  Mass  in  honour 
of  saints  p.  2,  note ;  on 
language  of  the  Mass  p. 
26;  on  Mass  for  the  Dead 
p. 213. 

Trinity  p.  86. 

U. 

Unde    et     memores     explained 

p.  136. 
Uniformity  p.  37. 


INDEX. 


V. 

VEIL  of  chalice  p.  19;    worn 

by  subdeacon  pp.  xviii,  195. 
Veni  Sancte  Spiritus  p.  78. 
Vestments     blessed     p.    16 ; 

description  of  pp.  16  et  seq. ; 

colours  of  p.  20. 
Victimae  Paschali  p.  78. 
Vidi  aquam,  when  sung  p.  23. 
Violet  vestments,  when  used 

p.  21. 

Virtues  p.  in. 
Voice,  tone  of  pp.  59,  115. 
Votive  Mass  p.  205. 
Vows,  in  Mass  p.  121. 


-W. 
WATER  mixed  with  wine  pp. 

97-  99- 

Wax,  white  and  yellow  p.  186. 

White  vestments,  when  used 
p.  20. 

Wine  pp.  97,  99 ;  mixed  with 
water  pp.  97,  99  ;  consecra- 
tion of  p.  131. 

Wiseman,  on  services  of 
Church  p.  210;  on  Kyrie 
eleison  p.  65. 

Words  of  institution  p.  35. 

Western  liturgies  p.  38. 


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